Divided We Stand, United We Fall
by Istalindar
Summary: Sequel to Light in the Dark. Hermione deals with Draco's abandonment and starts to move on with her life, with new friends, a new identity, and a new mission in life: finding answers.
1. Chapter 1

Well here you go…a sequel. This is more or less just a taster…it's not nearly done enough to start putting up in earnest, but I thought I'd put this little bit up so that you guys all know that there is a sequel in the works, even if its not ready. I want it to be really good, because I was proud of Light in the Dark and I don't want to let it down by writing a rubbish sequel. Thank you very much for all the reviews, I was so pleased that people liked the story, I hope I don't let you down with this one. Istalindar

&

Constantine DeVere was irritated. It wasn't hugely obvious to the others at the party, but to those who brushed against that irritation, it glittered like steel around her, resulting in a fiercely intelligent, verbally destructive comment that left its victim shivering inside. Her irritation tonight was directed at the bumbling social nightmare that was Ron Weasley, who seemed entirely incapable of behaving in a suitable manner for the social event he was attending.

However, far from being considered rude, uncivilised and unacceptable, Miss DeVere's acid tongue was accepted as a part of who she was, just like the icy intelligence and icier reception was also accepted. It was simply a part of her. In fact, the hosts of whichever party she attended counted themselves lucky that she deigned to attend, rather than wishing she would simply relax.

Miss DeVere was one of those people who had simply appeared on the social scene. She had her debut, of course, at Draco Malfoy's party as his fiancee. However, since the questionable business between him and Hermione Granger, which resulted in both their disappearances, Constantine DeVere had been making her own name. She was always dressed impeccably, and her haughty attitude was received well among the older families such as the Zabinis and the Parkinsons. However, her real sign of class was that the media received nothing from her on the subject of her ex-fiance Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. She had been approached for interviews and had turned them down cooly, any direct questions receiving the vague hated 'No Comment' that all reporters dreaded.

It was, however, rumoured that Miss DeVere had simply moved on from Draco, turning her attentions to his older cousin, Amadeo Malfoy. Their regular joint appearances at parties, premieres and opening certainly did nothing to quell the rumours, though as with everything in Constantine's life, there was nothing definite the media could get hold of, no secret letters or clandestine meetings to photograph, and so they remained rumours, and while a constant source of gossip, it never came to anything.

"Constantine, darling." The redheaded woman brought her thoughts back to the party and the petite Italian woman standing beside her. Mia and Blaise Zabini were hosting this party, and it would never do to be rude.

"Mia." Constantine smiled. "Your party is going wonderfully. And the décor is exquisite." Mia smiled back, basking in the compliments. That was another thing about Constantine: while she stuck to the 'If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all' rule, if she gave a compliment, she meant it. There was none of the false thick flattery a'la Pansy Parkinson.

"Thank you." Mia dimpled prettily. "I'm pleased you like it…my designer backed out at the last minute so this was somewhat haphazardly thrown together."

"Well, if you did this yourself, then you certainly don't need a designer." Constantine said, gesturing to the ballroom. Mia looked proudly at the room. It was decorated in a Greco-Roman style, with pillars and statues, and blue velvet drapes hanging from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Ice-lights, spiky ice-flowers that glowed white, silver and blue were scattered around the tables and hovered in the air across the entire room. When Mia returned her attention to her guest, she couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

As always, Constantine looked stunning, dressed in a strapless glittering gold dress with a gold-embroidered bodice and a floor-length skirt of silk and fine net, sprinkled with gold sequins. Her long red hair fell over her shoulders and throat in a blazing curtain, and while she wore mascara, apricot blush and a smudge of lipstick, she was otherwise unadorned save for a gold bracelet on her wrist. She looked completely natural, a fire spirit in the icy room. Mia envied her effortless beauty.

"Constantine." Mia looked up to see Amadeo approaching, immaculate and untouchable in head-to-toe black, his white-blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail in the style of the late Lucius Malfoy.

"Amadeo." Constantine smiled, accepting the glass of champagne from the man. "I was just telling Mia what a fabulous party she has thrown. Did you know she did the decorations herself?" Amadeo looked round, then back to Mia, who feared she was blushing under the flattery.

"They are marvellous, my dear." Amadeo said, leaning in to kiss Mia on the cheek in greeting. "They are among the best I've seen." Mia swallowed.

"You're very kind, Lord Malfoy." She said, dipping her head. Amadeo smiled.

"Please, call me Amadeo." She smiled at the liberty he was offering her.

"Of course, Amadeo. Though you must call me Mia." He nodded and bowed slightly to her before turning back to Constantine.

"Constantine, dear, Cornelius Fudge was looking for you. He said he wished to congratulate you on the aid grant and sponsorship you received for your Third World Projects." Constantine nodded, smiling at Mia with a few last words on the success of the party before allowing Amadeo to guide her away towards the clutch of politians standing by the buffet. They were all dressed richly with varying degrees of taste, and all smiled (or leered) widely at her approach. Constantine smiled back and braced herself.

&

"So what did you think?" Amadeo asked, settling himself on the black leather couch in the living room of Constantine's flat. There was a pause, and then the bedroom door opened and Constantine appeared, dressed in stretch pants and a tank top, twisting the gold bracelet off her wrist.

"The party was excellent. I genuinely like Mia very much." Halfway through the sentence Constantine's voice changed as she wrested the bracelet of her wrist. The red hair darkened to brown and she shrank slightly, her skin darkening a shade and her green eyes changing to brown until Hermione Granger crossed the room and sat in the twin black leather couch across from Amadeo's. She set the gold bracelet on the end table at her elbow and relaxed into the couch cushions. "Though I do find politicking exhausting." She added.

"The Zabinis have a reputation for their excellent parties." Amadeo agreed. "And Mia is a very suitable addition to such a family." Hermione snorted at Amadeo's words, and while he glared, he didn't question her. They'd already had several conversations on his supremist, holier-than-thou views on pureblood families and how they married. He held families such as the Weasleys, those that married for love often below their station, in contempt.

Hermione yawned. She really _was_ tired: talking with politicians gave her colossal headaches, but as Constantine DeVere, it was a part of life. If absolutely nothing else, Hermione's position as one of the premiere socialites of the wizarding world in Britain lent her a sense of responsibility, a feeling that she should do something with her influence, which was what had inspired the Third World Projects. These were a series of schemes based in Africa and Asia with the aim of finding and teaching wizarding children, many of which came from poor families who couldn't spare the children for them to go to school, wizarding or otherwise. This meant the children had no education nor understanding of their abilities and were often stigmatized and even punished or killed because of their magic.

Such projects required significant funding, of course, and so Hermione, or rather her alter ego Constantine, had campaigned for both Ministerial and private funding. She had done very well, in part because of her enthusiasm and persuasiveness, but also due to the fact that her social standing was becoming such that if she said that the done thing to do was to help Third World children learn magic, then it would be social suicide to do anything but jump on the boat with her. This meant that her projects were doing very well indeed, which not only served to increase her social standing in high circles, but made her popularity with the mainstream public soar as well, as she was seen as one of those few socialites who actually used their position to help the world. However, such socio-political projects involving foreign aid meant that she regularly had to liaise with politicians, people she rarely had time for.

"You did very well tonight." Amadeo commented, his grey-green eyes focused on her. "No slip ups at all."

"I've been doing this for over a year, Amadeo." Hermione said around another yawn. "Excuse me. No, I'd think after a year I'd have it down." Amadeo tilted his head in acknowledgement.

"True, however if that is the case how do you explain Miss Parkinson's atrocious display tonight?" Amadeo asked. Hermione winced. Pansy had drank too much, climbed onto a table and had started a strip tease. It was only Constantine's sharp-tongued orders that had brought her down from the surface. It hadn't caused a great stir at the party: the guests were used to someone drinking too much and making a display of themselves, but it was well known that neither Amadeo nor Constantine would ever make such a exhibition of themselves. And Constantine's rescue of the situation would only make Pansy look worse.

"Pansy has always felt the need to draw attention to herself." Hermione said carefully. "Alcohol simply makes the compulsion worse." Amadeo chuckled, setting his empty coffee mug onto the coaster and rising. Hermione followed suit.

"Tactful as always, my dear." He said, kissing her on the cheek. "What are you wearing to Miss Parkinson's ball next week?" Hermione shrugged.

"I don't know. I'll find something."

"My suggestion would be demure." Amadeo said, stepping back and looking her over.

"Is your aim to constantly show Pansy up?" Hermione asked wryly. "We wear demure while she flashes too much skin in the wrong place?" Amadeo gave a wide narrow smile.

"Hermione, if she will wear clothes that make her look dreadful, it can hardly be expected that we follow suit."

"She doesn't look dreadful." Hermione defended. "She has a lovely figure and all her clothes suit her very well."

"Until she starts taking them off." Amadeo pointed out. Hermione winced but couldn't find an honest reply. Amadeo smiled again. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight Amadeo." She said, following him to her door and showing him out. When he was gone she locked it and started shutting off the lights, rinsing out his coffee mug and leaving it in the sink for the morning before heading to bed.

It was this time of night that was hardest, though. In the dark silence there was nothing to distract Hermione from her thoughts, nothing to pull her attention away from Draco's absence, the cold space in her bed where he should be.

It had been fourteen months since he had disappeared, left her alone tangled in his blue silk sheets, the white letter on the pillow where he had been lying. It was thirteen months since she had pulled herself out of her grief and straightened her back, returning to the world with eyes blazing and chin up, Constantine DeVere's miraculous change from associate of a criminal to premiere socialite. In that time Hermione had built, with Amadeo's help, guidance and initial funding, a life in the highest social circles, complete with charity work, the odd fashion contribution and occasional foray into the world of fashion design, all three of which succeeding at the highest level. She was becoming exceedingly wealthy in her own right, and lacked nothing.

Except perhaps a strong sense of who she actually was. Being half Constantine and half Hermione, when the two personalities were, while not directly constrasting, certainly very different, it made it difficult to ascertain what part of her was natural and what part had she adopted as part of Constantine's character. All the same, such a quandry was not evident to the world or anyone but Hermione herself, so it didn't really count.

The only flaw in both her life and Constantine's was Draco Malfoy. Certainly for Constantine association with such a man was a flaw, and it was known that Amadeo never spoke of his errant cousin. Hermione, however, couldn't help but miss him wholeheartedly, thinking she saw him across crowded rooms and hearing his voice at loud gatherings. He wasn't there, of course, he wasn't so foolish as to show his face, but all the same, Hermione ached for him, both physically and emotionally.

She loved him, which was the most dangerous trap of all.

Part of Hermione's motivation for playing Constantine as the eternal and charming socialite was that in such a position she could keep her ear to the ground in a constant search for him. He had to have gone somewhere, and if Hermione was going to learn of it anywhere, it was probably in her work as Constantine. Constantine's social work alone meant that she mingled with people from all walks of life, giving her an increased chance of finding Draco.

Although so far it had turned up nothing.

Similarly, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were still searching for both Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. It had been made public that Hermione had committed some treason to the government, and that Draco had been shielding her, which gave Harry and Ron more leeway to search for the pair. However, they had become caught up in the high society, and rarely ventured down to the bottom of the ladder, where Constantine, in jeans and a jumper with her hair tied back and no makeup helped serve soup in a magical homeless shelter and visited Azkaban, now Dementor-free, bringing books and company to the inmates.

It was amazing what you heard in such places.

As Hermione drifted into sleep, an image of a tall dark-haired man floated across her mind, a stranger from the Zabini's party. His name had been given to her though it escaped her in her half-cognitive state, but his brown eyes blazed in her memory, and stayed with her until she fell asleep.

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	2. Chapter 2

Well, here's the second chapter. It's slow work but coming along, so please give me plenty of feedback so I know if I'm doing okay or if I'm losing the plot a bit. I hope you like this part and that it was worth waiting for. Istalindar.

&

"You look stunning, Constantine." Gregory Goyle, once thickset moronic crony of Draco Malfoy, now handsome, charming bachelor bowed as he took her hand, bringing it to his lips. She smiled, bronze-painted lips parting over pearl-white teeth.

"Thank you." She said. "You're very kind."

"Truthful, my lady." He offered her his arm and she took it, allowing him to guide her to the drinks table. As always at Parkinson parties, the alcohol was flowing thick and fast. Constantine looked around, noting the guests attending the gathering. Most everyone that mattered was here, though there were fewer politicans than at the current-events-savvy Zabini parties. "Where did you get that dress? Marine will be asking, you see." Constantine smiled, easily imagining Gregory's younger sister Marine demanding her brother ask the origin of various dresses at the party.

"It's bespoke, I'm afraid." She said, glancing down at the dress. It was black, strapless and backless, with an empire line that crossed the pale skin of her back, the only obstruction to the strip of skin from her neck to the dimples in her lower back. It was plain black silk, with a ruched upper bodice. Constantine wore her hair up and scraped back from her face into a ponytail that held together a scarlet spill of shining curls. Her green eyes were lined with kohl, making them seem a deeper colour that glittered in the candlelight. Delicate opal earrings dangled long from her ears, brushing her bare shoulders.

"Marine will be devastated." Gregory said with a wry smile. Constantine shrugged delicately.

"If she likes it that much I will gladly give her the name of the designer." She offered. Gregory nodded.

"She'll be grateful I'm sure. Oh, have you met Daniel Masters?" Gregory tapped one of the guests on the shoulder and he turned, and Constantine found her self face to face with the dark haired man she'd noticed at the Zabini's party. "Daniel, this is Constantine DeVere." Daniel took Constantine's hand and brought it to his lips as he bowed slightly, his brown eyes never leaving her green.

"I'm honoured, my lady." He said. He had a deep voice, almost a purr.

"Likewise, Mr Masters." Constantine replied with a smile. "I believe I saw you at the Zabini party last week, although we were not introduced."

"Ah yes. You were dressed in gold, I believe." Daniel said. He still hadn't released her hand, and Constantine delicately extracted it. One always had to watch how one acted in a place like this, and prolonged contact always hinted at some deeper knowledge of each other, and that was not the impression Constantine wished to give off. As far as society was concerned, she was with Amadeo, whether romantically or otherwise.

"I was." Constantine smiled. "So tell me, Mr Masters. What is your calling in life?" Daniel smiled, straightening up. He was tall too, not much taller than Constantine in her Lanvin heels.

"I'm an architectural engineer, Miss DeVere. I find buildings express more humanity than one would expect. They hold something of the people that designed and built it." Constantine nodded, one delicate eyebrow arching.

"I must say I never devoted much thought to the subject." She admitted. Daniel smiled. He had a lovely smile.

"So Miss DeVere. What is your calling?"

"Please, call me Constantine." Constantine said. "I do some amount of social work, as well as several charity projects based in Africa and Asia."

"The ethical socialite. How quaint." Constantine ruffled under his condescending tone, but took a deep breath and added a layer of ice to her attitude.

"Call it what you like, Mr Masters." She said with a small smile. "I find it rewarding." Daniel nodded.

"I'm sure you do, Miss DeVere, or you wouldn't do it." Constantine narrowed her eyes and bit back a rude reply. It was one thing to be colder than the arctic, it was quite another to be rude. Gregory, who had been watching the conversation with interest, now found it appropriate to step in.

"You are quite a new addition to these parties, Mr Masters." He commented. Daniel nodded. "Business going well, I take it?" Daniel stared Gregory down, not rising to the veiled insult.

"Constantine." Amadeo appeared at her side and raised his eyebrows at the barely disguised hostility within the group. "You have a new friend, I see." Constantine smiled.

"Amadeo, this is Daniel Masters. Daniel, this is Amadeo Malfoy."

"Yes, I know. Draco Malfoy's cousin."

"You know my cousin?" Amadeo asked, slipping an arm around Constantine's waist. She saw with a flicker of pleasure as a lightening quick expression of annoyance passed over Daniel's face and she leant into Amadeo.

"We've met. Briefly."

"Oh? When?" Constantine asked. Daniel frowned.

"A couple of months ago, I believe."

"So he's still travelling social circles?" Amadeo asked, his complete attention on Daniel. "I would have thought he'd go underground." Daniel shrugged.

"It was a brief meeting. We weren't even introduced, though I know him by sight of course, from the papers and suchlike."

"I see." Constantine said, a cool amused smile spreading across her lips. "So you haven't met him at all. You merely saw him." Gregory and Amadeo glanced at each other and while Amadeo's face didn't so much as twitch, Gregory gave a small smile. Another victim falls under the knife that is Constantine's tongue. Daniel seemed somewhat taken aback as well, taking a moment to collect himself. But by that point, Constantine had moved on.

"I'm going to continue circling." She announced. She smiled around at the three men. "Gentlemen."

"Constantine." They chorused back. She smiled at the synchronisation of the courtesy and moved away from the group, mingling with other guests with a bright smile. Daniel watched her move through the crowd.

"She's something, isn't she?" He commented. He looked back and saw both men facing him with ferocious glares. He smiled disarmingly. "Relax, gentlemen." He chided gently. "She needs some opportunities to practise her ice-queen schtick." Amadeo raised an eyebrow.

"I wasn't aware you knew her." Daniel laughed.

"I don't, though I can see I'm right on the mark. She was pointed out to me at the Zabini party last week."

"Hmm." Amadeo said non-committedly. "If you'll excuse me, I might follow her lady's example and mingle."

"Likewise." Gregory added.

"Of course." Daniel smiled graciously. "It's been good to meet you." Amadeo nodded and swept off but Gregory paused a moment.

"If I might give some advice?" Gregory said. Daniel smiled.

"Of course."

"While you are of course entitled to your opinions, it may be wiser to learn the lay of the land, so to speak, before expressing them."

"To avoid foot in mouth disease, you mean." Daniel said. Gregory winced at the bluntness.

"Something like that, yes." He agreed. Daniel nodded.

"Thanks for the advice, mate." Gregory nodded, looking a little strained.

"Of course. If you'll excuse me." He smiled weakly and escaped.

One thing was clear, Daniel Masters clearly wasn't cut out for this kind of social event. Though in his defense, he was new to the whole thing.

Time would tell.

&

"Aargh. He's so annoying!" Amadeo rolled his eyes as he held the door open for Constantine as she passed him into her flat. She was, once again, complaining about Daniel Masters, the man who had become her pet peeve in the last three or four months they had been socialising with him. Amadeo kicked her emerald green train out from under the door and shut it behind her, watching as she strode into the flat, heels clicking on the marble floor. It was a wonder to him that she had never slipped and fallen on her ass.

"He's winding you up." He said soothingly, watching as she pulled the diamond rock off her right ring finger and changed back into Hermione. The dress was a little too long now, but apart from that, she still looked stunning.

"I'll wind him up." Hermione grouched, collapsing onto the couch and crossing her arms sulkily over her chest, kicking off her shoes. "I'll wind him up and watch him spin off." Amadeo raised his eyebrows at her.

"He certainly has gotten to you, hasn't he?" Amadeo commented with ill-concealed amusement. Hermione glared at him and humphed under her breath. "Could it possibly be because the moment you two see each other the only thing you want to do is get in each others pants?" Hermione narrowed her eyes and glared harder.

"Ugh. No. He's a cretin, and annoying…and for crying out loud did he not even learn anything about basic manners at any point in his life?" Amadeo was grinning openly now and Hermione humphed again.

"Advice? I say do him and get it out of your system." He smiled angelically at her and she lobbed a cushion at him.

"Advice?" She mocked. "Fuck off and die." Amadeo laughed outright at that.

"Ah, Hermione. Such language." She raised her eyebrows and he smiled. "Draco would be proud." Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes.

"The scumbag. Where the hell is he, anyway?" Amadeo shrugged.

"Last I checked the point to hiding was not being found. So really, if we don't know, then he's doing his job right." Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, I know. Doesn't make it any easier, though." She said. Amadeo nodded.

"Nope. But if it were easy would it be worth it?" Hermione frowned.

"What do you mean?" Amadeo shrugged, sitting on the couch across from her.

"If it were all easy, would you feel the same way about Draco as you do now?"

"What, irritated? Annoyed? Mildly pissed?"

"The latter was the alcohol, dear. Focus on the conversational topic." Amadeo said condescendingly.

"Bite me, bitch." Hermione retorted. Amadeo rolled his eyes.

"What I'm saying is that if you two were together and there was nothing between you at all ever, you may not appreciate each other quite the same way as you do now." Hermione tilted her head in reluctant acknowledgement.

"So what do you think of Daniel?" She asked. Amadeo looked thoughtful.

"He's hiding something. And I don't like it."

"He's not hiding it well if you can pick up on it like that." Hermione commented.

"Well, let's just say I have a fine-tuned bullshit detector." Amadeo said. "My point is, something about him is off. Not right. So I don't trust him." Hermione nodded.

"That sounds about right." She agreed. "There's just something about him. Something a little too…I don't even know. It's not familiar, because we've never met before this. It's just…" she shrugged and Amadeo nodded.

"I understand. And I agree." There was a pause, and Amadeo rose. "Well, I shall leave you to your ruminations, my dear." Hermione nodded and stood up as well, the green dress pooling on the floor at her feet. She gathered it up and followed Amadeo to the door. As the man opened the door to leave, Hermione spoke.

"He's asked me to go to France with him." She said. Amadeo paused then shut the door, turning back to face her.

"And you said?"

"I'd think about it." Hermione said. She sighed. "I just don't know, Amadeo."

"Do you want to go?" Amadeo asked, leaning back against the door. Hermione nodded.

"Yeah, I do. There's just something about him." She shook her head. "But at the same time, Constantine probably doesn't need to be seen gallivanting around Europe with some no-name architect."

"A visit to France hardly counts as gallivanting around Europe." Amadeo pointed out. Hermione sighed.

"He wants to go to Italy as well. And possibly Switzerland after that." Amadeo raised his eyebrows.

"He does? Well, that's interesting."

"How so?" Hermione demanded, leaning against the long side table that lined her hall. Amadeo shrugged.

"He must be very fond of you." Hermione didn't answer, focusing instead on the patterns in the silver-flecked marble floor. "Hermione, I will give you my honest opinion and some genuine advice." She looked up and met his gaze. "We've already said there's something about him that sets our bullshit detectors a'ringing. That's a good reason right there not to go, or at least to do some serious investigation into his background before you give it any serious consideration. But also, there's Constantine to consider. Right now she's flying high, which means she has far to fall. And there's too much depending on her, your personal safety and status aside. You can't afford to lose funding for the Third World Projects now, not when we've managed to break through the political barriers. The good these projects can do is immeasurable, but if you lose funding because of a social faux pas, the projects could fall through utterly. So my advice is to swallow this attraction between you two, and try to get on as best you can. And don't go gallivanting around Europe with him." Hermione nodded, eyes falling back to the floor again.

"You're completely right, of course. And I should have thought of those reasons myself." Amadeo laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, Hermione. You don't always think completely clearly at time like this." Hermione smiled weakly.

"Thanks Amadeo." She said, looking up at him. Amadeo nodded and bent to kiss her cheek.

"Goodnight, Hermione. Sleep well."

"You too. Goodnight." She pushed off the table and watched as Amadeo disappeared through her door and into the lift. Then she headed back into the apartment and started getting ready for bed, feeling sinking disappoint at the fact she couldn't go to Europe with Daniel.

But Amadeo, as always, was right. There were more important things than a trip to Europe with the socially inept Daniel Masters, no matter his appeal.

&


	3. Chapter 3

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, between university and writer's block I had a bit of a problem seeing where this is going. Fortunately, I've had a few ideas, so I'm back to writing and updating.

Thanks very much to xxTeardropKisses for some lovely long reviews. All will be revealed in time…this chapter is for you.

Hope everyone likes it. Istalindar.

&

Ginny Weasley, fiancee of the famous Harry Potter, sat silently in the passenger seat of Harry's lambergini and stared bad-temperedly out of the window, watching the scenery fly past. They had had another argument, on the familiar topic of Constantine DeVere. Harry had a fixation on the woman, bordering on obsession, and it did nothing for Ginny's ego or her sense of security. After all, DeVere was a single woman, with rumoured ties to Amadeo Malfoy but nothing certain. There wasn't technically anything stopping Harry dumping her for DeVere.

However, DeVere never showed anything but icy disdain for both Harry and Ron, though she was warm and welcoming to Ginny. It was something Ginny didn't understand, and neither did Harry, which served to fuel his irritation at her constant rejection of even the most basic social interaction with him.

Ginny could feel the acceleration of the already speeding car and turned her attention to her fiance.

"Harry, slow down. You're driving too fast." She said. She felt her heart sink at his body language, the blank cold face, the white knuckles from clutching the steering wheel too tight. And she could see the numbers on the speedometer still climbing. "Harry!" She snapped.

"I know how to fucking drive, Virginia." Harry snarled back. Once this would have intimidated Ginny into silence, but she was becoming too used to these moods.

"I'm not debating that, Harry." She retorted. "But you are driving too fast. And even if it was legal, there are too many people on this road to drive at 200mph!"

"Shut up and let me drive." Harry snapped, his green gaze never shifting from the road ahead of him.

"Harry!" Ginny saw the car a split second before he did, and though he swerved, she still saw the accident almost before it happened. She screamed and covered her face with her hands. There was a screech and a crunch and the sound of shattering glass. Then nothing.

&

Hermione sat at the breakfast bar, flicking through the mail the owl post had just brought. There were a lot of invitations, both to parties and brunches and lunches. There were a few bills, some modelling offers and a bank statement. Hermione sighed and sipped her coffee, twisting on the stool to look out the big window behind her. She had a beautiful view of London from here, as the apartment was out of the city central so she wasn't surrounded by equally tall buildings to block her view.

As she stared out the window, she suddenly noticed a bird flying straight for her window. With a start she realised it was an owl and she hurriedly rose and threw the window open. The bird soared through the casement and landed on the breakfast bar. It released the letter it held in its beak and looked at her.

"Hello." She said politely, going to the cupboard for some treats for the bird, filling a saucer with water and setting both in front of the owl. It had its fill and hooted at her, so she opened the letter, recognising the seal as St Mungo's Hospital.

Miss DeVere 

_Miss Virginia Weasley has had an accident and is in recovery. During this period she has requested your presence if you would be so kind as to attend. Visiting hours are Monday to Saturday 1pm until 5pm._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Michael Morrango_

_Head of Accidents ward._

Hermione frowned, staring at the letter in front of her. She glanced up at the owl.

"Do you want a reply? I'll go, of course." The owl hooted and took flight, soaring out of the window and away. Hermione shook her head, shutting the window behind it.

It was strange, she though as she put away her breakfast things and headed to the bathroom to shower, that Ginny had requested her presence. Not that there was any love lost between the two women, it was simply that Harry had a mild obsession with Constantine that Ginny was forced to watch, though Constantine did her best to put Harry down at every occasion. She wanted nothing to do with him, and didn't see why she should hurt Ginny by humouring him.

Hermione picked up the engagement ring Draco had given to her from the dressing table and looked at it, sparkling in the late morning sun. The three sharp stones, an opal flanked by diamonds, was too recognisable now as the engagement ring Draco had bestowed on Constantine before the business with Hermione Granger, so Hermione transfigured it into a different piece of jewelery depending on her outfit, allowing her to retain Constantine's form while not advertising the fact she wore Draco's ring.

Hermione slipped the ring onto her right ring finger, concentrating on Constantine's model-like form. When she felt the change was complete, she got out her wand and turned it on the ring, trasnfiguring it into a gold ring set with a giant square cut yellow topaz, held in four golden claws. Then she went to her wardrobe and picked out a narrow fitted black trouser suit and a pale gold silk chemise to wear underneath. She dressed quickly and twisted up her hair, applied mascara and lipstick, and checked the clock. It was twelve forty-five so Hermione slipped on black platform courts and grabbed her purse, checking quickly that everything she needed was inside before leaving a short note for Amadeo should he come over and apparating to St Mungo's.

The hospital was, as ever, quiet, not too busy, and scrupulously clean. Constantine approached the desk and the receptionist looked up with a shock of surprise in her eyes. Constantine smiled.

"Hello. I'm looking to visit Miss Virginia Weasley, if I may."

"Of course, Miss DeVere." The receptionist gabbled, typing quickly on her computer. "She's in room 22, Block C. I could show you, if you wish." Constantine looked around and saw the sign pointing to rooms 15-30, Block C.

"That's very generous of you." Constantine said. "But I'm sure I can manage. And I'd hate to deprive your post of such an efficient worker."

"Oh, it's no trouble." The receptionist said, rising. Constantine reached over the desk and gently pushed the receptionist back into her chair.

"Thank you. But that's quite alright. Your help has been much appreciated." Constantine smiled and headed down the corridor towards Room 22 as directed by the sign. It was easy to find.

Constantine knocked gently and pushed the door open at the soft call. Ginny was lying on the bed in the middle of the room, face turned to the sunlight streaming through the window, her eyes closed. There was a bandaged gash on her forehead.

"Virginia." Constantine said, standing by the door. Ginny turned to look at her, and pushed herself slowly into a sitting position.

"Constantine. I'm glad you came." Ginny smiled. "How are you?"

"Better than you, by the looks of it. What happened?" Constantine crossed to Ginny's side and perched on the edge of the bed.

"Car crash." Ginny said, rolling her eyes. "Harry was driving too fast." Constantine frowned.

"That's awful. Are you okay?" Ginny nodded.

"I had a concussion and a broken wrist. I'm still here for observation on account of the concussion."

"But concussions are cured in a second with magic." Constantine said, confused. Ginny nodded.

"Yes, but I reacted weirdly to the healing spells because of an obliviate on me." Constantine froze, and Ginny looked at her levelly, then smiled. "So how have you been?"

Constantine now understood. Ginny had called her here to tell her the obliviate was lifted. However, what the youngest Weasley intended to do with the information she now remembered was still up in the air.

"I've been well, thank you." Constantine said carefully. "Ginny-"

"I would like to talk to you about it at a later point." Ginny said. "That's all." Constantine nodded.

"Of course." Constantine said. Ginny smiled.

"Thank you." Constantine nodded again.

"So how long will you be here?" Constantine asked, looking around the room. It was pleasantly, if impersonally, decorated, with clean cream walls and a blue trim. There was a painting on the wall of sailboats in a harbour.

"The mediwizard says another two days. I was wondering if we could arrange brunch." Constantine nodded.

"Certainly. My apartment, at eleven? On Thursday." Ginny nodded.

"That would be lovely." Ginny smiled, and there was a familiarity in her eyes that Constantine (and Hermione) had missed.

"Virginia." The door opened and Harry strode in, a small bouquet of mixed flowers bought from downstairs in his hand. He saw Constantine and stopped.

"Constantine." He blurted. She stood and looked at him cooly.

"Mr Potter."

"I wasn't aware that you were visiting Virginia." Harry said, struggling to regain his composure as his familiar greeting was flattened by her formality.

"I heard she had been injured in a car accident and was concerned." Constantine said cooly, green eyes distant and impartial. "I felt I should visit her, ascertain for myself the extent of her injuries."

"Well, she's fine." Harry smiled, but it faded under Constantine's scrutiny.

"For a woman in such an accident, she's a living miracle." Constantine corrected. "And is incredibly lucky to be alive. I'm thankful to providence that a concussion and broken wrist were all she suffered."

"Well-" This wasn't what Harry had expected at all. It was like receiving a dressing down from Molly Weasley, only a million times more condescending. Every nuance in Constantine's voice told him he was lucky she was lowering herself to even speak to him.

"Darling, I'm looking forward to seeing you on Thursday." Constantine said to Ginny, utterly dismissing Harry. "Please look after yourself." She bent and kissed Ginny on the cheek.

"Thanks, Constantine." Ginny said with a smile. Constantine turned to Harry.

"Mr Potter." Then she turned and headed out the door, letting it swing gently shut behind her. Harry turned to Ginny.

"What the hell was that about?" He demanded. Ginny looked at him levelly.

"I'm allowed to have what visitors I would like." She said icily, sounding frighteningly like the woman who had just left.

"Actually, I was referring to her bitchiness." Harry corrected, feeling now quite irritated. First Constantine DeVere, whoever the hell she was when she wasn't prancing around in expensive clothes and putting people down, had treated him worse than the scum on her shoe, and now his own fiancee was treating him as a sub-human. Ginny shrugged.

"She's particular about her friends." She said simply. What was left unspoken hung in their air between them.

_And you aren't worthy, Harry Potter._

&

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Amadeo asked, watching from the sofa as Constantine tidied the living room up. "Miss Weasley is a little close to your person to be a truly safe friend."

"The obliviate's been lifted." Constantine explained. "She knows who I really am. And she knows that Harry and Ron were trying to kill me."

"They still are." Amadeo interjected.

"But so far she hasn't said anything. We were good friends, Amadeo. I don't think she'd betray me."

"You and the Golden Wonder were good friends and you didn't think he'd betray you." Amadeo said. Constantine sent him a withering look, which he returned.

"You can stay if you like, Amadeo. Though the conversation will probably be dominated by girl talk."

"Thank you, but no." Amadeo said, rising and straightening his clothes. He headed for the door and Constantine paused in her tidying to walk him to the door. Just as they got there though, there was a knock. Amadeo shot her a look and opened it, revealing Ginny Weasley on the doorstep.

"Miss Weasley." He gave a short bow. Ginny glanced past him at Constantine then looked at him with a nod.

"Mr Malfoy." She stepped back so he could pass her and he did without a backward glance, disappearing into the lift. "Hello."

"Hi Ginny." Constantine smiled. "Come on in." Ginny passed her into the foyer and looked around.

"Nice place." She commented. Constantine nodded.

"Thanks. Drink?"

"Coffee. Thanks." Ginny followed Constantine into the kitchen and sat on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. She watched in silence as Constantine made two coffees, and when the mug was placed in front of her Ginny looked up and met Constantine's gaze. "I remember."

"So you said." Constantine nodded, sitting across from her at the breakfast bar. "What, precisely, do you remember?"

"The entire conversation from the kitchen the night of Draco's party." Ginny said. "About Harry using me, about Harry hunting you, and about the fact that Constantine DeVere isn't your real name or even your real appearance." Constantine arched an eyebrow and Ginny rolled her eyes. "You are Hermione Granger, despite the fact you've been hidden by some incredible ingenius spells. Though that hardly surprises me."

"They were Draco's doing, actually." Constantine said absently, toying with her mug. "Though that isn't surprising either. He was second to me in all our classes." She looked up at Ginny. "So what are you going to do with this information? Telling Harry will certainly win you brownie points with him."

"What makes you think I want them?" Ginny returned. "Things with Harry have always been rocky…first he was obsessed with finding Granger, and now he's obsessed with DeVere, if only because she rejects him so constantly. It does appear you are the only woman in his life whatever your guise."

"Ginny, I'm sorry." Constantine said sincerely. "I never meant to-"

"It's alright." Ginny interrupted. "Plenty more fish in the sea. And I'm starting to think that even if he did love me, things might not necessarily be that different. He'd still be egotistical and obsessive. He always has been, to be fair, though to lesser degrees. He can't really help it, he's always been the one who saves the day, the one everyone turns to. It's gone to his head." Constantine nodded.

"It's a shame."

"Of course it is." Ginny agreed. "He has a good heart. And to be perfectly honest with you I have no idea what fuels his thing against you…Hermione, that is. It's out of character – he's usually loyal to his friends to the point of folly. Do you have any idea?" Constantine shook her head.

"None. One day we're working together as aurors, making cracks about what we'll find next that needs to be either destroyed or deported to keep the public safe, next day I've been kidnapped by Draco Malfoy because my name came up on a hit list." Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Romantic." Constantine didn't answer, eyes down as she sipped her coffee. "Oh, hun. I'm sorry." Constantine looked up.

"What for?"

"You fell in love with him, didn't you?" Ginny asked, reaching across the table to take Constantine's hand. "With Draco. And now you're living a lie and he's on the run." Constantine gave a soft laugh.

"Very concise, Ginny." She said. "Well done." Ginny nodded with a sad smile.

"Have you heard from him?" Ginny asked. Constantine shook her head.

"The point of hiding is not being found."

"Do you miss him?"

"Like hell." Ginny nodded, retracting her hand and picking up her mug.

"So what are you doing now? What's the grand scheme?" Constantine shrugged.

"I'm a socialite, and recently turned down a trip to Europe with Daniel Masters, I don't know if you know him. I've got a series of projects in Africa and Asia helping poorer children understand and develop their magical abilities because a lot of them are shunned and even killed for being different. And because they can't control their magic they make it worse. So I'm pouring a lot of money and effort into making those schemes work. But apart from that, I'm not doing much. ."

"That's so typically you." Ginny said with a smile. "Remember S.P.E.W.?"

"Do I ever." Constantine laughed. "No, this is a little bit different, in that I have both the money and the power to actually make a significant difference. And its satisfying to see Malfoy money go to good use." Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Malfoy money?" Constantine nodded.

"A lot of my funding comes from Amadeo." She explained. "He was the one who set me up with the flat and the clothes and the invites. Now I'm starting to make money on my own with some modelling and jewelery design so I can be a bit more independent." Ginny nodded.

"Is there something between you and Amadeo?" Constantine shook her head.

"No. We're friends, which is surprising considering his pureblood surpremist views, but that's all."

"And you're with Draco." Ginny added. Constantine nodded.

"Kind of. As much as you can be with a guy who's missing and incommunicado." Ginny nodded in agreement. "What about you?" Constantine changed the subject. "Up to anything much?" Ginny shook her head.

"Recuperating. Apart from that though, I have a plan that mostly involves working out what angle Harry is working." Constantine frowned.

"I don't understand."

"Constantine…Hermione…it doesn't make sense, Harry suddenly turning on you. Something set him off, and I want to know what that something is. And do you even know what your crime is?" Constantine shook her head. "Well, I'll find that out too. There's too many questions, and not enough answers."

"Ginny, that's dangerous. I can't ask you to do that." Constantine shook her head and Ginny shrugged.

"You didn't ask me to do it. You're my friend, and it's not right that you have to live in a stranger's body for the rest of your life while your lover is on the run. So I'm going to find out why." Ginny looked resolute and Constantine nodded.

"Alright. But be careful." Ginny nodded, a triumphant smile crossing her face.

"I will." She paused. "So what's this about Daniel Masters?" Constantine laughed.

&

"Oh, shit." Amadeo looked back as Constantine stopped.

"What?"

"My heel's caught in the drain." The redhead said, looking up. Amadeo sighed impatiently and returned to her side where she was tugging fruitlessly at the green satin stiletto that had wedged itself in the grate. It was raining and cold and they were metres away from her warm dry apartment, but now she was stuck.

"Just take it off and leave it." Amadeo said with a shrug. Constantine fixed him with one of the filthiest looks in her repetoire, one she usually reserved for Potter or Weasley.

"These are Manolo Blahniks." She said like it should mean something to him. "I am not going to leave it behind." Amadeo shook his head.

"You're being ridiculous, Constantine." He said. She glared at him and continued to tug at her heel. "Look, I'll buy you a new pair, just like those. Just leave that. You're ruining that dress in this rain."

"Fuck the dress." Constantine muttered rebelliously.

"That is an Armani silk dress and there will be no fucking done anywhere near it." Amadeo returned. "Just leave the damn shoe and let's go!"

"No." She returned. She looked back down at her shoe and gave it one last hard tug that both freed the shoe and sent her falling backwards. Amadeo winced at the damage it was doing to the dress. "There, you see?" She said with a bright smile.

"All I can see is the damage you're doing to that dress." He said sourly. "It's only a pair of shoes, Constantine. They don't matter that-"

An almighty explosion interrupted his spiel and the two looked up to the see the top floor of Constantine's apartment building, that is to say, her flat, explode. Amadeo flung himself over Constantine, protecting her from the shrapnel. When metal had stopped falling on them, Amadeo pulled back, took one look at the still burning building and grabbed Constantine. With a pop, he apparated them both to the manor.

"What the fuck?" Constantine demanded, shaking herself free of him and drawing herself up to her full height, which, while wearing four inch heels, was quite impressive.

"I was saving your life you stupid bint." Amadeo snapped. She glared.

"Not you, idiot. I know what you were doing. I want to know what my appartment is doing spontaneously blowing up!"

"Trust me, there was nothing spontaneous about it." Amadeo said darkly. "You might have to go on that trip with Masters."

"We already talked about what it would do to Constantine's reputation." Constantine said, shaking her head though hope flared in her chest.

"Constantine, someone is trying to kill you. We'll say that Masters, as a friend, took you to Europe to help you forget. And anyway, you're constantly being linked with people. What does it matter if Masters is one of them?"

"That's not what you said two weeks ago." Constantine said, folding her arms.

"It's inconvenient, Constantine." Amadeo said. "And you don't need the speculation. But someone is trying to kill you and I'm damned if they're going to blow up the manor to do it!" Constantine huffed and blew an escaping strand of red hair out of her face.

"Fine. Are you going to call him or shall I?" she asked imperiously.

"I'll do it. You go upstairs and get a shower and some clean clothes, and give that dress to the House Elves to see if they can salvage it. I'll call Masters." Constantine nodded, turning on her heel and heading up the stairs to her old bedroom.

As she pushed open the door she closed her eyes, feeling waves of feeling and memory wash over her. She stepped into the room, heels sinking into the deep carpet. Then she opened her eyes and looked around. It hadnt changed since she'd moved out, nearly two months after she'd found the letter on her pillow, two weeks after she'd fallen asleep, thanks to Draco's sneaky spell.

A pop behind her alerted her to the House Elf's presence and she turned and saw Dimmy standing in the doorway.

"Hello Dimmy." She said quietly. The House Elf bowed to her.

"Mistress has returned." She said gleefully. "Bad goings on though, bad bad bad." Constantine nodded.

"Yes, Dimmy. You're right." She sat down on the bed and bounced experimentally. She hurt inside, just from being here. Here, where the memories of Draco were strongest, was where she could feel his absence like someone had reached in her chest and pulled out a handful of whatever, leaving a gaping hole.

Cliched as it was, her heart hurt. Or her chest hurt like her heart had gone.

Constantine swallowed back tears and reached down to unbuckle her shoes.

"Does Mistress need a bath?" Dimmy asked. Constantine nodded.

"Please. And then could you see if you could save this dress? It's horribly water-stained." Dimmy nodded, disappearing into the bathroom. Soon the sound of running water appeared and steam began to billow out of the door. Constantine stripped unselfconsciously and put on the bathrobe laid out on the end of the bed and walked into the bathroom, twisting her hair up as she went. Dimmy turned off the taps and went into the bedroom to look at the dress while Constantine shed the robe and stepped delicately into the hot water, hissing as the hot water touched her skin. Then she let herself submerge up to her shoulders, leaning her head back against the side and closing her eyes, breathing deeply and letting the lavender scented steam relax her. And then she fell asleep.

She jerked awake, water splashing over the side. It was cold and she was shivering, and she quickly climbed out and wrapped herself in a towel, wondering at Dimmy's neglect. Normally the House Elf woke her up long before the water even became tepid. Constantine quickly dried off, rubbing circulation back into her cool skin, and dressed in jeans and a shirt that used to belong to Draco before heading downstairs.

She could hear voices as she came downstairs, and saw the light under the reception door was on. She knocked lightly and stepped inside, and saw Daniel and Amadeo sitting in armchairs beside the fire. Both men looked up when she came in, and Daniel stood. Amadeo remained sitting, looking mildly amused.

"Constantine." She smiled widely, glad to see him.

"Daniel." She held out her hand and he took it, raising it to his lips. He raised his eyebrows at the wrinkles in the skin. "Sorry. I'm still pruney."

"Fell asleep in the bath?" Daniel asked with a smile. Constantine nodded with a sheepish shrug, moving past him and transfiguring a pile of books into an armchair before sitting in it. "Nicely done." Constantine smiled again. She didn't know what it was with this man, but she couldn't stop smiling around him. She looked at Amadeo, who was watching the pair of them with a knowing expression.

"Amadeo." She said in greeting, and in warning. He glanced at her and his lips twitched as he restrained a smile.

"Constantine. Dear." She rolled her eyes and focused back on Daniel.

"I'm sorry about your apartment." He said. "It must have been a huge blow. Do you have any idea who did it?" Constantine shook her head.

"None. Someone against the Projects, maybe. Or someone jealous of my status…I don't know."

"Know anyone with vendettas against you?" Daniel asked. She looked at him sharply and he shrugged. "I'm trying to look at all the options Constantine." She shook her head.

"No. No one I know of." The lie felt wrong to Daniel, but there weren't any other options. He nodded.

"Alright. Amadeo's said that Europe will be safest for you."

"That isn't why I want to go!" Constantine blurted, glaring at Amadeo. Daniel smiled, pleased. "I'd like to go, and not because it's safer than staying here."

"Well, either way, I'd love to have you with me." He smiled. Then he frowned. "What's that?" They all quietened, and heard a whooshing noise before the flames in the fireplace flared green and Ginny Weasley stepped out of them, looking perfectly coiffed and dressed, as though she'd just come from a rather late running party.

"Constantine." She said. "Are you alright?" Constantine stood up and hugged the witch.

"I'm fine." She said. "We were outside when it blew."

"Oh, thank Merlin." Ginny breathed. "You sure you're okay?" Constantine nodded.

"Little bit shocked, but it's okay." Ginny nodded, pulling out of Constantine's embrace to look at the two wizards.

"Amadeo, Daniel."

"Miss Weasley." Amadeo said, standing. "You look lovely." Ginny looked down at herself with a smile.

"Thank you. I was at an after party."

"Well, I'm sure you quite outshone everyone else." Daniel said with an easy grace. "Please, sit down." Ginny smiled and with a flick of her wand transfigured a side table into a chair and settled herself in it, Amadeo following suit. "We were just saying I will take Constantine to Europe with me. It'll do her some good to leave, and will go some way to protecting her." Ginny nodded, looking thoughtful.

"It will." She looked at Constantine. "The Ministry is in a right tizzy over this, I'll tell you. Nobody knows how or why it happened."

"Nobody?" Daniel questioned. "Someone must know."

"No one officially knows." Ginny clarified. "Harry was furious when he found out."

"Potter? How is Potter involved?" Amadeo asked. Ginny glanced at Constantine.

"He's got a bit of a preoccupation with me." Constantine said sheepishly. "And he can't seem to shake it."

"Preoccupation?" Ginny laughed. "It's an all-consuming obsession, Constantine."

"Wonderful. It's been promoted." Constantine said drily.

"And you're alright with this?" Daniel asked. "You're meant to be marrying the man." Ginny nodded.

"We'll see." She said simply. "Well, Constantine, if you're going with Daniel, is there a way I can contact you?"

"Send everything to Amadeo." Daniel said. "He can forward everything onto us." Ginny nodded, and rose, Amadeo and Daniel rising also.

"Well, I should leave." She said. "I said I'd only be gone a few minutes, I just wanted to check you'd be okay."

"How did you know she'd be here?" Daniel asked with a frown. Ginny shrugged elegantly.

"I assumed she'd be with Amadeo. That's all." She stepped towards the fireplace and withdrew a handful of floo powder from her tiny clutch and threw it into the fire, throwing them one last radiant smile before stepping into the flames and vanishing.

"She's certainly something." Daniel commented. Constantine nodded, and noticed Amadeo still looking thoughtfully at the fire where Ginny had disappeared. Daniel noticed too and sent Constantine and questioning glance. Constantine just smiled.

&


	4. Chapter 4

Hey folks! Here's another update for you, and it's a long one too :). I'm having a bit of trouble with this fic at the moment, which is why there's such a long gap between updates, so please bear with me. I am still working on it, it's just taking time. I hope you enjoy this, I think it's the bit a lot of you have been waiting for ;). Enjoy. Istalindar

&

Packing for a trip like this was dreadful Constantine decided, standing hands on her hips in her bedroom. Of course, it didn't help that most of her clothes were blown up, meaning that she had to go shopping for just about everything. It did, of course, give her plenty of creative leeway for planning outfits.

"Shop and shop and yet have nothing to wear?" Constantine turned to see Amadeo leaning indolently in the doorway. She smiled, shaking her head.

"It's not that. I'm just having trouble working out where to start."

"Try underwear. Empty the drawer into the trunk and move on. Hell, just pack everything. That's what shrinking spells and bottomless bags are for." Constantine laughed.

"Very helpful, Amadeo." He shrugged.

"Hey, it would solve your quandry."

"Who said I had a quandry?" She questioned with a grin. He raised his eyebrows at her and she rolled her eyes, turning back to her wardrobe. "You're right, it would work. But there's no point in taking things I wont wear."

"Connie, love, you're going around Europe. Daniel says France, Italy and Switzerland but I'll assure you it'll turn into the full tour."

"And how do you know that?" Constantine questioned as she started riffling through her wardrobe. "And don't call me Connie. It's sounds awful." Amadeo laughed, stepping into the room and sitting in the armchair that sat in the corner by the window. He looked out of place with his sharply cut black robes in the sage and bright white room.

"I've spoken with Masters, Connie." He grinned and she knew he was calling her that to annoy her. "He's hinted that if the trip goes well it might be extended." She raised her eyebrows.

"If it goes well?" Amadeo shrugged elegantly and Constantine turned back to her wardrobe. "Well, we'll see." She started pulling out her new favourite clothes and piling them on the bed, stacking shoes beneath them on the floor. Then she started selecting makeup and jewelery.

"You're going to have to be careful not to take your ring off." Amadeo warned. She nodded.

"Yeah, I know. I'm trying to think of the best way to do that without raising suspicion." She said.

"Make it too tight to get off, not so much you lose your finger. It'll work." She looked thoughtful as she picked through the substantial pile of earrings.

"Actually, that's happened before." She commented, returning to her wardrobe to pick through its contents again. "What time is it?"

"Daniel's late, it's half eleven." Amadeo said off handedly.

"What?" Constantine spun and stared at him. "Half eleven?"

"That's what the clock says." Amadeo said, pointing to the clock by the chest of drawers. She huffed and started folding and piling clothes into the bottomless shrinkable trunk. There was a knock on the door and she yelled for them to come in. Daniel entered, looking cool and relaxed and paused when he saw the chaos that was Constantine's room.

"Good grief woman." Daniel said, looking pained. "Just pack the lot. You can shrink it." Amadeo laughed.

"That's what he said." Constantine grouched. Daniel shrugged.

"He was right." He waved his wand and muttered a spell and all of Constantine's clothes flew out of their places, folded themselves, and dropped neatly into the trunk, the lid of which closed neatly before shrinking to the size of a matchbox. "Done." Constantine glared and Daniel stared back at her evenly until she gave up. "You ready?"

"Am now." She muttered. He grinned, taking her hand.

"Well, Amadeo, I believe I shall kidnap this dear girl and whisk her off to Europe."

"Good riddance." Amadeo muttered with a smile.

"Hey!" Constantine protested, flinging a cushion at him. He batted it away effortlessly. "I'll miss you, Amadeo. So there. Have fun without me."

"I'll try." He said drily. "Look after her Masters, someone's trying to kill her." Daniel nodded, all traces of humour gone from his handsome face.

"You have my word, Amadeo."

"I don't want your word, Masters. I want her in one piece." Amadeo said. Daniel sent Amadeo a sharp look Constantine didn't understand.

"So do I, Amadeo. We'll enjoy ourselves, and I'll keep her safe. Keep your ear to the ground here."

"Of course." Amadeo said, flicking his hand at them. "Shoo now." Daniel snorted and grasped Constantine's hand, giving her a second to scoop up the matchbox sized trunk and tuck it into her pocket before pulling her to the fireplace and whisking her away in a whirl of green flame.

&

Ginny Weasley paused to check her appearance one last time in the mirror before apparating and appearing with a crack in the reception of the Ministry of Magic. She was dressed sharply in the wizarding version of Calvin Klein, a black slim cut trouser suit with her vivid red hair twisted up at the back of her head. The security guard nodded at her, and didn't even bother checking her. After all, why would Harry Potter's fiancee be carrying anything suspect? Ginny wasn't, incidentally, but all the same, it was an appalling lack in security.

She passed the checkpoint and headed up to Harry's office to greet him, well aware her presence would have been announced. Her greeting was short, as was his, before she was near-enough chivvied out of his office so he could work (chivvied, like an annoying toddler!), leaving her to her own devices.

It was useful, actually, and exactly what she had counted on.

Thing was, Ginny was doing some investigating of her own. She'd spent most of last night reading all of Harry's documents and diary entries, not all of it as she did need some sleep to be a functioning human being, but enough to gather that whatever it was that had set Harry on his murderous course of hatred was in the Department of Mysteries.

There was a lot of useless crap in the Department of Mysteries, though the word crap was more commonly replaced by the word 'mystery' at the Ministry, but the most numerous thing in that Department, figuring most prominently in Ginny's memory, were the prophecies. She'd broken an ankle and brushed with deatheaters in order to get her hands on a prophecy on Harry's behalf last time she was here, and she was willing to bet that a prophecy had something to do with this, too.

Harry always had placed too much emphasis on prophecies.

Ginny was a bit of a closet divination fanatic herself, especially since those chaotic years at Hogwarts, and had made a point of finding out all there was to know, not just from teachers but from skeptics and devotees and people who simply didn't care whether it was a load of bull or not as long as it worked. Consequently, she liked to think she knew a fair bit. So she knew prophecies more often than not were fulfilled by one of the parties trying not to fulfil them. A key example would be when Voldemort tried to kill Harry to prevent the prophecy occuring and merely chose his worst enemy instead, as in accordance to the prophecy. In fact, historically speaking, most prophecies had come true because one party had tried to stop the other party fulfilling their part, whereas in fact if they'd just let it be nothing would have happened.

Life was so ironic sometimes. It made Ginny smile.

What made her smile more was the thought that as likely as not, by trying to kill Hermione, Harry had inadvertantly made her his worst enemy. Far from dying or hiding in some hovel, Hermione had merely gotten a good glamour, a new name, and started her climb into high society. So now Harry was eating, unknowingly, out of her hand, and she had more than enough power to destroy him should she entertain the whim.

Ginny broke off her line of thought in order to concentrate: she remembered how tricky getting into this department could be. After some mental juggling she achieved entrance, and moved swiftly through the room full of desks and shelves, all empty, strangely, straight to the shelves of prophecies. She was looking for a later one, she mused as she moved along the shelf, scanning labels. Then she found it, just like she was expecting.

_12th September 2006, Harry James Potter and Hermione Maria Granger, prophecy by Trelawney, Hogwarts School_

"Score." Ginny murmured, pulling out a muggle dictaphone out of her purse and reaching for the prophecy as she pressed the 'record' button. "Let's see what this is about."

&

Constantine was sitting on a balcony outside her room in Paris, sipping coffee and eating croissants when an owl swooped in on her, dropping a letter on the table neatly in front of her. She set her cup aside and picked it up with a nod to the owl, pushing her plate of toast towards the owl. It wasn't an owl she recognised, and it had a post office tag around it's ankle. When it had it's fill of toast it soared away, and Constantine slit open the letter with the butterknife. It was from Ginny, with an aside from Amadeo. She read that first.

_Our dear Ms Weasley has been busy, look at this and see what you think. If there's anything to it, then Potter's royally screwed himself over. Have a wonderful time, hit Masters if he tries anything._

_Amadeo_

Constantine picked up Ginny's letter with a smile, Amadeo's words playing in her head. Daniel was still out cold in their bed, they hadn't wasted any time. There simply didn't seem to be any point. And why not, anyway? As she slit the plain seal, her smile dimmed. What was it that Ginny had found?

_Dear Constantine,_

_I've been doing a spot of investigation on your behalf, and as part of fulfilling my own curiosity, and had a hunch. I was right, and found what I was looking for in the Department of Mysteries. Professor Trelawney, the old bag, has been stirring things up again with her dubious prophecies, though as far as they go this one may not be far off. It's about an hour long, but the key points are as follows:_

_Hermione Granger will rise in power equal to and above Harry Potter_

_She will then overthrow him_

_She will cause chaos and a social revolution which will result in an end to the old ways, and all those previously in power 'will be brought low' to her feet, which they will then kiss/worship/whatever._

_That is essentially the sum of it, that Granger will rise higher than Harry and then bring him down, which I suppose could be reason to kill her, especially if one thought in terms of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or other such dictatorial evil lords that revolutionised society and brought low all those good people already in power, though I think when Harry was considering this prophecy he forgot the kind of person Granger is. All in all, I think we're looking at another self-fulfilling prophecy…by trying to kill Granger, Harry's simply given her the opportunities to make herself something more. Irony can be amusing on occasion._

_Have a wonderful time in Europe, don't do anything I wouldn't do._

Lots of love, Ginny 

Constantine stared at the letter for a few moments, though when she heard Daniel shift in bed she quickly folded the letter and tucked it into her pocket. A few moments later he appeared bleary eyed in the doorway. It was very different from Draco's up-and-at-'em early morning attitude: Constantine was quickly finding that Daniel was most definitely not a morning person.

"I don't like waking up without you there." He mumbled as he sat down across from her, reaching for the coffee. Constantine smiled.

"I don't like being in bed until eleven thirty in the morning." She replied. "So there may be a problem."

"I'll get up earlier." He muttered, sniffing his coffee deeply before sipping it and sighing in near-ecstacy. Constantine smiled indulgently.

"I'll believe that when I see it." She said gently. "Any plans for today?" Daniel shrugged, still caught up in his coffee, and Constantine decided to leave it until more brain cells had turned on in his head, or she'd be repeating herself endlessly for the next hour or so, which was not something she wished to do. And she had plenty to think on anyway, as she sipped her coffee and gazed out across morning Paris.

So she was going to bring Harry to his knees? It seemed fitting, after what he'd put her through. As for social revolution…well, she was very much into the idea of breaking down anti-Muggle mindsets in the wizarding world, as well as building up wizarding society in eastern countries. And she wanted a more democratic wizarding government, with more money going to the obscure but important departments such as curse-breaking, which she knew from Bill to be appallingly under-funded. And she wanted…

That could count as a social revolution, if she were to bring even a few of those into being, and as the socially active socialite in more than one sense of the phrase, she had the power, the placement and the motivation to do just that. Bringing Harry to her feet would be an added bonus.

It explained a lot though, this prophecy. Ginny had always believed that Harry took the prophecy thing a bit far, treating them like gospel, and Constantine agreed wholeheartedly. Prophecies, as with most divination with the exception of Ancient Runes, were imprecise, often inaccurate and dealt with what might happen if a billion conditions were satisfied first. It gave an idea of the future, what might happen, maybe if other things possibly occur and their consequences coincidentally coincide with the astrological lineup. It was ridiculous, and precisely why she had quit divination in third year at Easter. Harry would have been wise to do the same.

"Oh, I needed that." Constantine dragged her attention back to Daniel. He was setting his empty mug down on the table and stretching, giving an inviting flash of his chest for her to admire. In that, at least, Daniel and Draco were quite similar; both knew how attractive they were. Egotistical bastards, the pair of them. Constantine didn't know where Draco was, but she hoped he was okay, not living in some pig-hovel. "Good morning, Constantine." Constantine smiled at him.

"Morning, Dan." She waved a hand aimlessly at the breathtaking view from their balcony. "Any plans for today?" Daniel shrugged.

"Ever been to Paris before?" He asked. Constantine nodded.

"Once, as a child." Daniel nodded.

"Well then…I figured today we might do the touristy things, either Muggle or wizarding or both…the Louvre, Eiffel Tower…those kinds of things. Tonight we can go out for dinner, then I'll show you some of the more…overlooked wonders of this city." His voice was getting more and more animated as he planned their week, and Constantine smiled. His enthusiasm was not only catching, but it was very sweet. Not like Draco at all.

Constantine mentally slapped herself. She had to stop comparing them in her head, because they were two different people, that was blatantly obvious. Some of the things Daniel said and did were things Draco would never dream of saying or doing. It was only little things that reminded her of Draco, like the self-confidence of both men, and their vanity. Apart from that, and a predeliction towards Armani and D&G, the two men were quite different. Draco was sweet but serious, proper in his behaviour and attitude, and quite like Amadeo in all truthfulness. Daniel was as likely to start tickling Constantine in the street so she would squeal and grin as he was to tell some important Ministry official to shove it. He'd done it, too, when one of the social Ministers had approached Constantine regarding Constantine's Third World Projects. The conversation had gotten lengthy and Daniel had gotten bored, so he led Constantine away by the arm and told the official to make an appointment if they wanted to speak to Constantine for any more than five minutes. Daniel simply didn't care what society thought about him, whereas Draco was always well aware of the judgemental nature of society and always made sure there was nothing about his behaviour that might affect his social standing. Constantine was beginning to think that Daniel would be as happy in a pigsty as he was in a penthouse, as long as he had his precious building designs to look at.

That was another thing, if Draco was asked what kind of building was standing in front of him, his answer would probably be 'A stone one', whereas if that same question was asked of Daniel, one had to prepare oneself for a lecture that could last upwards of half an hour. It usually featured on style mixing: on how the architect and designer and mixed Greek and Art Deco styles to create a building that was at once both modern, classy and elegant. Or something like that. After fifteen minutes Constantine was apt to zone out.

At which point Dan would tickle her incessantly until she apologised profusely.

Daniel really wasn't anything like Draco at all.

"Constantine?" She looked up, startled out of her thoughts, and saw Daniel watching her carefully. "Are you alright?" She nodded with a bright smile.

"I'm fine. Shall we get dressed and go? I want to see Paris!" Daniel laughed.

"Sure. You can have the shower first." He said generously. She grinned and pushed back from the table, heading inside, her silk robe fluttering behind her. Daniel watched her go, and then saw the letter left in her wake. He picked it up with a frown and was about to set it on the table when he recognised Miss Weasley's handwriting and paused. He sank back into his chair, and with a quick glance in at the hotel room, he opened it.

&

Paris was amazing. So was Rome. So was Lisbon.

So was Daniel.

When Constantine had first come on this trip, she had near enough jumped into bed with him. After all, he was good looking, nice and it always helped to keep the man protecting you from those who would blow you up in a good mood. But recently she had noticed it had changed…there was more feeling in it.

She was afraid she was falling in love.

Never mind how he was feeling…Constantine was prepared to leave him as soon as it went wrong…it really didn't matter how she felt, her reputation and the work she was doing was more important. And there was always Amadeo to shout at, as he always took it with good grace, though when she'd finished he had a tendancy to pat her on the head and ask if she felt better.

She always did though.

This business with Daniel was dangerous though. She was feeling closer to him every day, and just seeing him made her feel better, not that there was a lot of opportunity to feel bad as he took her on a whirlwind tour of Europe. She was having an amazing time and was waiting for the other shoe to drop…for Amadeo to call her back to England or for Daniel to reveal he was secretly gay and using her as a cover.

She wasn't expecting him to ask her if she was still in love with Draco.

"What?" Constantine was having a hard time keeping her jaw from dropping. "I beg your pardon?"

"Are you still in love with Draco?" Daniel asked again patiently. Constantine stared. "Constantine, it's not a hard question."

"I don't see how it's any of your business." Constantine snapped, gripping the rail by the window to stop her hands trembling. "I did love him until he took up with Granger. Then it all fucked up and he left me for her. It's that simple."

"So you don't love him anymore." Daniel said, his tone of voice saying he didn't believe her at all.

"What on earth has brought this on?" Constantine demanded. She watched as Daniel reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. When she took it from him she recognised it isntantly: the letter Ginny had sent her over a month ago. "Where did you get this?" She asked, feeling fury stir in her stomach.

"You dropped it." Daniel answered, his bronze-brown eyes boring into her. "It seems Miss Weasley has been researching Granger for you. It gives the impression you are sympathetic to the lady's cause."

"You read it?" Constantine demanded, struggling to keep her voice from shaking. Daniel didn't reply. "How…dare you?"

"I know very little about you, Constantine." Daniel answered. "I was curious."

"Curious? Curious?" Constantine lowered her voice considerably. "I'm going back to the hotel, Daniel. And I would prefer it if you didn't follow me." She spun on her heel and strode away from the window overlooking Barcelona and walked out the resteraunt doors without looking back, swallowing tears and tipping her chin up.

Amadeo would have recognised her posture instantly.

Constantine cast a subtle language charm over herself, and was quickly speaking to the taxi driver and was soon on her way. She stared out at the beautiful architecture and clenched her fists in her lap, her nails cutting into her palms.

It had to end at some point. She reminded herself. But the damage Daniel could do with the information he had on her could ruin her utterly, and all her Projects. They'd fall through, people would lose money and the people she had promised help to, had met and visited and laughed with, would lose everything, and gain nothing.

Socially, her name would be in ruins. Never mind the utter personal devastation…Constantine would have to start again. New name, new image, new everything. And it would be harder without Draco's initial introduction.

She arrived at the hotel and paid the driver before running up the steps into the very expensive hotel. People in the lobby parted for the stone faced woman who strode through their midst and Constantine was glad. She could feel the tears coming and didn't know how long she could hold them back for.

The key to her door jammed twice and so Constantine spelled it open with a subtle wand wave and headed inside, closing the door softly behind herself before grabbing her suitcase and piling her clothes into it, before remembering she needed to make it bottomless. She did it, tears flooding down her face, and watched the clothes sink into it before continuing to pack.

"Constantine, what are you doing?" She jumped and spun and saw Daniel standing by the terrace doors.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" She demanded. "And how did you get in so quietly?"

"I apparated. You didn't hear because you were chucking shoes into the bag." He stepped forward, touching her shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." Constantine narrowed her eyes and slapped his hand away, going to the bathroom and coming back with an armful of cosmetics only to see Daniel unpacking her bag.

"Fuck off, Daniel." She snapped, shoving him bodily out of the way and chucking the bottles into the suitcase before refilling it. Daniel grabbed her by both arms and forced her to face him. She tried to pull away but he only tightened his grip so she could feel herself bruising.

"Constantine, it's okay." He said, trying to reassure her. "God, you look scared!" He sounded shocked.

"I'm scared because I've suddenly found I'm in the middle of Europe with a man I can't trust!" She exclaimed, trying to wrench her arms out of his grip.

"You can trust me, Constantine." Daniel said, his voice suddenly very serious and solemn.

"Oh, yes, because reading someone's private mail is trustworthy?" She hissed. Daniel sighed.

"Constantine, look at me." She didn't, looking stubbornly down at the floor between his arms. "Constantine." She squeezed her eyes closed, trying to shut him out. "Hermione." Her eyes flew open and she stared. "Hey." Draco said. Constantine jerked backwards so quickly that Draco, unprepared for her reaction, lost his grip. Constantine fell backwards onto the floor and scrambled backwards. "Hermione!"

She was crying harder now than before, barely able to see or breathe for sobbing. She was shaking her head so hard her straightened red hair was falling into her face, sticking to the tear streaks. Draco knelt beside her and stroked her hair out of her face.

"Hermione, look at me, my love." She did, green eyes hard and glittering.

"Let go of me." She bit out between sobs. The vehemence in her voice made Draco lean back and in that time, Constantine gripped her wand and apparated out.

&

She misjudged the apparation and ended up landing badly on the front step of the Manor. Swearing profusely at her aching ankle, she shoved open the door to the manor and stepped into the foyer, yelling for Amadeo.

"Amadeo!" By this point the name was hardly recognisable for the sobs. "Amadeo, you bastard, get out here!" The blonde appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Constantine?" He asked, frowning and running down the stairs, meeting her on the marble floor and gripping her shoulders where Draco had bruised them, making her wince. "What it is? Where's Daniel?" He looked around but she was alone.

"Daniel?" Constantine immediately went from distraught to furious, and Amadeo actually found himself a little wary of her. "Daniel? I'm sorry, Amadeo, but I can't fucking tell you where Daniel fucking is!"

"He left you?" Amadeo asked incredulously. That was simply unbelievable. Then it suddenly occurred to him why she was upset. "Constantine-"

"And you knew!" She shrieked, all decorum gone. "You knew and you didn't fucking tell me!" She shoved him hard and he stumbled back a step. "I hate you both. I despise you!"

"Constantine…Hermione. You're upset, I get that, but-"

"Leave her, Amadeo. This is my fault." Constantine spun and saw Draco standing, looking unruffled and perfect in the doorway.

"You." She bit out. "You I hate the worst." Draco flinched minimally, and Constantine didn't see it. Amadeo did, though and he frowned.

"Hermione, please, calm down." Amadeo said quietly. She ignored him, digging in her pocket for her wand. It wasn't there and she turned on him.

"Give it back to me right now." She said coldly. Amadeo shook her head.

"You're not apparating now, you'll splinch yourself." He said. She stared at him for a second, then walked away from him. Draco grabbed her hand.

"Hermione-" He was silenced by a resounding slap that twisted his head to the side. When he looked back, she was gone. He looked at Amadeo, who was staring at him cooly. "What?" he asked irritably.

"How did she find out?" Amadeo asked. Draco sighed.

"I showed her."

"You what? How are you going to look after her now, genius? You had her in your hand! It was perfect."

"It was a lie." Draco retorted.

"Her life is a lie, Draco. Wake up and smell reality for gods sakes! Masters is destroyed in society from now, and if Constantine even deigns to spit on you you'll be lucky!"

"I couldn't lie to her!" Draco shot back. Amadeo rolled his eyes.

"You've been lying to her for nearly a year, you idiot." He said flatly. "Now. I'm going to call Ginny Weasley and see if we can get her here, or else god only knows what Hermione's going to do."

"She's not going to do anything stupid." Draco said stubbornly. Amadeo sighed.

"Did you splinch your brains out coming here? She apparated so badly she landed outside and on her ankle, she was limping when she came in. It's lucky half of her didn't appear in Paris! Now you go find something to amuse yourself and hopefully think up a way to make her talk to you again, and I'll get Virginia here." Amadeo spun on his heel and disappeared into his study, leaving Draco alone in the foyer.

&

Constantine ran out of the house and into the labyrinth garden, running blindly down the hedged corridors until she found a bench that was suitably far into the maze. She collapsed onto it, gasping for breath and sobbing again.

All that time, he'd been right there! All those weeks trying to look for him in the most subtle way she could manage, struggling with her feelings for Daniel while still feeling for Draco, and all the time they'd been the same fucking person.

She felt betrayed, confused, joyous and devastated all at the same time. Her stomach was churning and her head and throat ached from the crying. She looked at her hand and saw they were trembling. She sighed, taking deep breaths and leaned back against the hedge. She had no idea what to do now. There was no way in hell she was just going to forgive Draco just like that. And Amadeo…well, he she'd at least talk to.

But what had Draco planned? Was he going to keep up the façade forever? Just let her fall in love with Daniel, maybe even get married? Never tell her that he was in fact Draco Malfoy and that she'd spent god only knew how long searching for the man she was actually with?

Her head hurt.

A tell-tale pop made her look up, ready to tell either Malfoy to fuck off, but instead she saw Ginny standing there, dressed in a white linen trouser suit with gold flats.

"Oh, honey." Ginny quickly stepped to her side, sitting beside her and pulling Hermione into her arms. It made her start crying again, and she clutched at Ginny's collar, sobbing. "Hey, it's okay, darling. Don't cry. Shh, it's okay."

"How is it fucking okay?" Constantine demanded. "How the fuck is it okay?" Ginny shook her head, reaching for Constantine's hand and pulling the ring off so Constantine changed into Hermione.

"Hey, there. Hermione, honey, he was doing it to protect you." Ginny said quietly. "So he could be around you."

"But he lied to me!" Hermione cried. "He let me fall in love with Daniel, even though Daniel was an utter lie! Was he ever going to tell me? Or just let me love some sort of fake…idea?" Ginny didn't answer, hugging Hermione to her and rubbing her back. Hermione sniffed, closing her eyes and leaning against Ginny's shoulder. "I don't know what to do, Gin. I can't just forgive him like that." Ginny didn't speak and Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at her. "What are you thinking?" Ginny shrugged.

"Well…I don't really know. I can understand how devastated you are, I know I'd be so upset if it happened to me. But…you're not really going to want to hear this, but…if Daniel Masters had been the real thing, wouldn't you have been doing the same thing to him as Draco was doing to you? After all, Constantine isn't real either. Daniel would be in love with an idea as much as you were with Daniel."

"It's different, though!" Hermione exclaimed. "Daniel…Draco, whatever, knew Constantine was an idea!"

"So you weren't really fooling him. But if it hadn't been Draco, if Daniel was born Daniel Masters, then he would have believed in Constantine the way you believed in Daniel." Hermione sighed, and Ginny knew that her point had been made. "Look, I'm not saying you have to forgive him any time soon, but if you try and think of it from his point of view…he knows you're still being hunted. He wanted to protect you, and by taking on Master's name and image, he could get close enough to you to watch over you, and I think he's missed you as much as you missed him."

"He had me, though." Hermione argued. "All the time he was with me he knew I was me."

"Yeah, but Constantine and Hermione aren't the same person." Ginny replied evenly. Her calmness was infectious; Hermione could feel herself relaxing, breathing easier. "Constantine is a lot harsher than Hermione, less caring. Spending all his time around Constantine isn't the same as spending it around you. I bet he's missed it."

"Well, if he'd told me sooner, I could have been Hermione to him." Hermione replied obstinately. Ginny shook her head.

"It would have been too dangerous." Ginny replied quietly. "He couldn't risk it."

"It sounds like you sympathise." Hermione accused, sitting up and looking at the redhead. Ginny shook her head.

"With both of you, I do. You were both put in difficult situations. I understand why he became Daniel, just as I understand why you became Constantine. It was for the same reason, Hermione. And you didn't tell Daniel you were really Hermione for the same reason he didn't tell you he was Draco. To protect yourself and to protect the other."

"I can't go back in there." Hermione said. Ginny nodded.

"You can stay with me for a while, until you work out what you want to do." Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"With Harry?" Ginny shook her head.

"I've got a separate flat that I use when I want some time away. Harry doesn't know about it. It's a safety net, if you like."

"Are you two still rocky then?" Hermione asked. Ginny shrugged.

"We're not a two any more, I don't think. It's not official, but…I don't want to live with that for the rest of my life. I still love him, very much, but I don't know if I'm in love with him. Until he can sort himself out, then I don't want to be with him. And I know that I can't be friends with you and him simultaneously. I hate the way he looks at Constantine, and he's hunting you."

"I'm sorry." Hermione said quietly. Ginny shrugged.

"It's not your fault. I don't know if his attitude was inevitable, bearing in mind he grew up being _the_ Harry Potter, Voldemort's archenemy, obsessed with prophecies and what else, but I don't like it. And I can't live with it." Hermione nodded, and Ginny paused. "Do you want to go in? Get your clothes or whatever?"

"I don't want to see him." Hermione said, looking close to tears again. "I'm torn between throwing myself at him and killing him." Ginny smiled wryly.

"Alright. I'll go in and ask the House Elf, Dimmy, is it? I'll ask her to pack your clothes for you." Hermione nodded, then looked up.

"I could go to Africa." She said. Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Seriously, there's all the Projects, I need to check up on them all anyway. It'd be a break, and I'd be doing something other than obsessing over him."

"It's probably a very good idea." Ginny said. Hermione smiled, getting enthused by the prospect.

"You could come with, if you like. Or if you want to stay and keep an eye out, that's fine."

"I won't go straight away." Ginny said, "Though I might join you out there later. But one thing at a time. I'll go get your things, then come back here. Then I'll take you to the flat." Hermione nodded and Ginny handed her back the ring. "Put this back on. Hermione needs to stay hidden for a while longer." Hermione nodded, slipping the ring back on her finger and feeling the familiar sensation of change. "I'll be right back." Ginny said, and she disappeared with a pop, leaving Constantine alone in the maze.

&

When Ginny appeared in the foyer of the Manor, Draco immediately grabbed her arm.

"What's happening?" He demanded. She gave him a patient look and he let go of her. "Is she…okay?"

"She's moving in with me for a while." Ginny said. "I have a flat away from Harry so she can stay there. Then she's thinking of going to the Project locations."

"She's leaving?" Draco asked, sounding crestfallen. Ginny smiled sadly.

"She needs time to think, Draco. I put forward your side of the story and she heard me at least. But she needs time to sort herself out." Draco opened his mouth to argue and Amadeo stepped in.

"Do you know how long she'll be gone?" Amadeo asked, cutting Draco off. Ginny shook her head.

"She'll come back when she's ready. I'm sorry, but that's the best I can do."

"She will come back, won't she?" Draco asked. Ginny looked at him seriously.

"She loves you very much, Draco. As yourself and as Daniel. That makes me think she'll come back. But she's hurt and confused and angry and happy all at the same time, and it's gonna take her some time to sort through the mess of emotions she's feeling right now. So I think she will come back, Draco, but I don't know how soon that's going to be. Maybe not for a couple of months, at least."

"Months!" Draco breathed. "But Ginny, can't you make her-"

"No." Ginny said flatly. "I can't. This is something she has to work through on her own, Draco. Or she'll never be sure. It's going to take her time and you are going to have to be patient."

"But you think she will come back?" Draco asked, desperation lacing his voice. Ginny nodded slowly.

"I think she will."

&


	5. Chapter 5

Hey folks, another update for you. I know the author alert isn't working as well as it should be (grr) but just keep your eyes open for updates, and hopefully the good folks in charge will sort it out, or I'll just email them and tell them. Either way, I hope you like this next bit. Istalindar

&

Constantine finished the last of her packing, slipping travel information into her purse and dropping the bag on the bed next to her suitcase before crossing to the window and staring out across downtown Manchester. Ginny's flat was in the poshest area of Manchester there was, though the view was still a slightly muggy cityscape.

"Hey." Constantine turned to see Ginny leaning against the doorjamb, surveying the suitcase and purse. "You ready to go?" Constantine nodded.

"Yeah. I've got everything together and sorted out the finance stuff which they were threatening to not send through."

"You browbeated them into it?" Ginny asked with a wry smile. "On occasion, my dear, your subtlety leaves something to be desired."

"Who wants subtlety? Gin, you can be as subtle as you want with bankers, but unless you crack them over the head with your paperwork they will be as evasive as cockroaches in a photocopier."

"What a delightful image." Ginny wrinkled her nose and Constantine smiled.

"I try." Ginny smiled, and held out a folded piece of parchement.

"This is from the Malfoys." She said. "Read it if you like."

"Amadeo?" Constantine asked with a smile, taking the letter.

"And Draco." Ginny added, and watched as Constantine's smile vanished. "Constantine-"

"It's fine." Constantine said quickly, tucking the letter into her bag. "Thanks Gin. For everything, I mean it."

"What else are friends for?" Ginny shrugged, perching on the edge of the bed. "Do you have everything?" Constantine nodded. "Okay, have a good trip. _Please_ be careful." Constantine nodded.

"I will. You too." Ginny sobered a little bit and Constantine narrowed her eyes. "Has Harry said something?"

"He wants to get the marriage date arranged." Ginny said. "I haven't told him yet that I'm not marrying him." Constantine nodded in understanding.

"Well, when you get round to it, if you need somewhere out of the way to go, I'm out in Kenya for the next three months. Join me." Ginny nodded.

"I might just do that. It'd probably be useful to have a hidey hole _far_ away from England." Constantine winced.

"You think it's going to be problematic?" Constantine asked, and Ginny nodded.

"Probably. Anyway." She shook off her problems with a smile. "You need to go or you'll miss the opening. Have a wonderful time darling, and look after yourself."

"You too, hun." Constantine grabbed her bags in one hand and her wand in the other, and after a swift second she vanished with a pop, leaving Ginny alone in her flat.

&

Constantine appeared in a plain white room in the airport in Nairobi, and was immediately descended on by two robed guards.

"Documents, please." One said, his english heavy and gutteral. Constantine obligingly handed them over and waited patiently while they were checked over. Then the guard handed them back. "Thank you. Just join the flow of passengers. Are you being met?"

"I am." Constantine answered. The guard nodded.

"Then good day, ma'am." She smiled.

"And to you." She pocketed her wand and the documents and headed out of the door, joining the flow of Muggle passengers making their way to customs and past that, to the door. Customs was no problem, and Constantine made it to the door fairly quickly, getting lost in the vast airport only once. Once she got outside she was blasted by the heat and she took a deep breath.

"Constantine!" She looked along the line of taxis and saw Thomas Peterson, her head of operations here in Kenya, and beside him his best friend and companion Ngugi, the native born Kenyan that helped them negotiate past any cultural differences. He was also a dab hand at driving jeeps across the uneven ground of the African plain to the secluded villages that Constantine's Projects involved.

"Tom! Ngugi!" Constantine smiled and walked towards them quickly, dropping her bags and hugging them tightly one after the other. "How have you been?"

"Good." Tom laughed, picking her up and swinging her around. "The extra funding we received last week was a life saver." Constantine frowned.

"But I didn't send any last week." She said, confused. Ngugi frowned.

"Seriously?" The Kenyan asked. "But it was a significant sum. We finished off the hospital using it and started buying in medicines." Constantine shook her head.

"That's strange. Was there any sort of documentation with it?" Tom nodded.

"All the usual. It's back at the lodge. We figured we could stay there tonight, so you can have a bed and a shower, and head out in the morning. It's too late to go out tonight anyway, unless we fancy a fair amount of lion encounters." Constantine shook her head.

"No, thanks. And a shower would be amazing, thanks." Tom nodded, picking up Constantine's bags.

"Well, let's go then." He flashed her a brilliant smile, and she followed him over to the beat-up tank-like jeep. He chucked her bags in the back and she climbed into the back seat, Ngugi and Tom taking the seats at the front. And then they were off.

&

After her shower, Constantine settled herself on the couch, dressed in sweats with her damp hair braided back out of her face. Beside her was a giant cup of hot chocolate, the documentation for the recent surprise funding and the letter Ginny had brought her from the Malfoys. Constantine decided on the chocolate first, sipping the hot liquid and letting it slide down her throat.

Tom was a genius at making hot chocolate.

The lodge was an ex-hunters lodge, about forty miles outside of Nairobi, a speck of civilisation in a vast empty plain. Made of brick and logs, it was extrememly solid and had withstood years of monsoons, baking heat, elephant rages and everything else that the Kenyan earth could throw at the house. It had been broken down and abandoned when Constantine had bought it, making it the base for her operations near the city. Now it was warm and pleasant and homey, compliments of hours of work put into it. That was how Constantine had originally met Tom and Ngugi, she had employed them both to help her renovate the house and teach her something about the Kenyan culture, both men having been born in Kenya, and they had worked so well together that the two men had worked with her ever since.

Constantine dragged her attention back to the stack of papers beside her, the folded letter from the Malfoys sitting on top of all the other papers. She picked it up with a sigh, looking at the Malfoy seal on the back and picking reluctantly at the wax with her fingernails. Then she took a deep breath, bit the bullet, and slit the letter open.

_Dear Constantine_

_I've missed you. Ginny reluctantly tells me you're doing fine, though I think she'd rather not talk to us about you at all. She probably feels it would be a betrayal of your trust, but I couldn't go for months not knowing how you were. How have you been? Daniel Masters is back to his usual social habits, raising money for your cause in Africa. I suspect you'll be heading out there soon, so please write me a letter when you do, so I can know you're safe._

_I miss you, and Daniel sends his love._

_Amadeo_.

It was short and concise, as was Amadeo's style. Constantine suddenly missed him very much, and she sat back into the sofa, the letter discarded on her lap. She had left without any word to either Malfoy, and while she didn't particularly want to hear from Draco, Amadeo deserved more. Yes, he hid from her the fact that Daniel was in fact Draco, but Draco probably made him. Amadeo was, after all, Draco's cousin. And it hadn't actually physically hurt her, Amadeo was just helping Draco keep an eye on her, like she needed one kept.

Anyway, Amadeo, at least, she would talk to. But first she needed to sort out the other financial stuff, especially if someone was randomly donating a large amount of money. She picked up the papers and shuffled through him, well-practised at sorting through pages of legal and financial crap to find the right bit. And then she swore.

'Donated by Gringotts Bank on behalf of Mr D. Masters.'

If he thought he could buy his way into her good graces he was sorely mistaken. She glared at the offending piece of paper before shoving it off her lap and rising, crossing to the giant window. It was a beautiful night outside, clear and starry. She could hear the crickets and bugs even through the glass, and far away across the plain she thought she could see something large moving slowly. Could be an elephant, could be a trick of the light. Then she saw Tom's reflection and turned.

"I knocked." He offered. "Glad to be back?" She nodded with a smile.

"It's so beautiful out here." She sighed, turning back to the window. "Like nothing really matters." Tom chuckled.

"Different things matter out here." He shrugged, stepping up next to her at the window. "Time isn't as important here, but water is. Pollution isn't a problem but there's a real danger of being eaten by a lion if you don't get home before dark."

"Yes but that's different." Constantine replied. "That stuff actually matters. Clothes and cars and bills…that doesn't matter. That's all just what we made of the world." Tom smiled.

"You've learnt a lot since you first came here." Tom said approvingly. Constantine looked up at him.

"I always kind of thought that, but I never wanted to say it."

"Horror of admitting the truth?" Tom asked with a smile. Constantine shrugged, looking back at the window at Tom's reflection. He was a very handsome man, though not in the same way as Draco. Draco's good looks were born from aristocratic features, his paleness and carriage. Tom's handsomeness came from the fact he was tanned, weather-worn and hadn't shaved in at least two days. He was easy to talk to and not in the least bit up himself or self-important. He was as comfortable inocculating cattle in a village in the middle of the grasslands as he was wearing a black suit and tie and chatting finance with possible Project sponsors. He took everything in his stride, but when it was things that mattered, like protecting his friends and family, confronting someone who was withdrawing their sponsorship or fighting enemy tribes, he was fierce and unforgiving..

"What are you thinking?" he asked. She shrugged again.

"Just glad to be back, is all."

"It was a bit of a surprise trip, though. You arranged it like a week in advance."

"I missed the Project." She replied evasively. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"Something went wrong in England?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I had a fight with someone. It seemed easier to just give us both some space."

"Daniel Masters?" Tom asked. Constantine jerked away.

"What?" He held out his hands imploringly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stick my foot in it. But it's in the gossip pages, even here."

"You read those?" Constantine asked incredulously, anxious to bring the topic off her.

"Sometimes. To see what you're up to. We don't hear a lot from you when you're in England. There was a lot of speculation in the gossip pages about you two. And then suddenly you weren't together anymore." Constantine shook her head but didn't answer. "Did he hurt you?" Constantine looked at him sharply: he had that tone of voice he sometimes got when someone near to him was threatened.

"No, he didn't." Constantine lied. "I just couldn't trust him enough. So it eventually had to end."

"You only tell us so much unless you trust us, don't you." Tom said.

"I trust you, Tom. There's no need to start thinking that."

"You've got a lot of deep secrets, Constantine. And I respect that, everyone has things they can't address or talk about. But yours are bigger than most, I think."

"Tom-"

"That's all I'm going to say about it, Constantine." Tom said with a shrug. "Just…some people you can actually trust, you know. Whatever it is, we know you, despite your secrets, and we wouldn't give you away." Constantine smiled a little sadly.

"Thank you." She didn't continue, and Tom shifted a little uncomfortably.

"Who's the funding from?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Masters." Constantine replied, then fell silent. Tom let out a breath.

"Oh."

"It's not like that, Tom." She replied. "We just decided we were better as friends. And his funding has come in useful, like you say."

"Yeah, it did." Tom paused. "Ngugi wanted to know if you wanted to come have coffee." Constantine laughed.

"It took you that long to ask?" she asked. Tom shrugged.

"Well, we got to talking. How about it?"

"Sure." Constantine smiled and followed Tom out of the room towards the living area where Ngugi was waiting.

&

The next day they headed out to their main sponsored village about 80 miles from the house, a hundred and twenty miles from Nairobi. It was jointly run by a witch and a wizard, Gathoni and Kiguunda, and was a safe place for all the children and teenagers who had either run away or been kicked out, abandoned or stigmatized by their villages for their magic. It was something Constantine didn't really understand: most villages had shamans and wise men or women, and yet when real magic appeared, the people feared it and tried to beat it down.

Still, Gathoni and Kiguunda took everyone and anyone in as long as they respected the rules of the village and helped with the work. In return the refugees received somewhere to live and food. Unlike muggle Africa, famine and drought were not so widespread due to the aid of magic. However, Africa had long ago become the playground of the wealthy in magical culture, so while the government tried to rule fairly and well, it had to play homage to the very old, rich families that near enough controlled most of the magical side to the country.

However, times were still tough, women still had to walk miles for water, and the sun still dried everything out and caused rot, despite the best anti-decomposition spells. Magic, as always, was no match for mother nature. It wasn't something Constantine really regretted though, as she walked with the women to get water each day. It was an opportunity to chat, with the help of translation spells, and she learnt a lot from them. Their magic was very earth-bound, more concerned with keeping the flow of the earth in line than transfiguring teapots into turtles. Still, as useless as those particular exercises were in real life, they were good for teaching control and precision, and Constantine spent the majority of each day teaching the children various exercises to help their wand-waving (those that had wands, an amazing number of children had the ability of using wandless magic, something Constantine greatly envied.)

It was a happy, simpler life that she was appreciating now: no whirlwind of parties and brunches, just an early rise each morning, helping the children with their lessons then the long walk to the water hole, back in time for the evening meal that the teenagers cooked each night. Then in the evening everyone sat around the fire, the children showing off their newest abilities and the adults talking about future plans, discussing the children or recounting anecdotes.

It would have been perfect except that Constantine suspected that Tom had developed a crush on her, and suddenly it made her uncomfortable. She was used to being desired by men, but she could ignore them. However, since Tom was a friend and a close comrade in their work here, that wasn't an option. This went on for two months, and then Ginny arrived, and suddenly the pressure on Constantine was lifted.

Ginny was a breath of fresh air to the village. She was practical and brimming with energy, always willing to try anything and she never complained. The children adored her, and the women nodded approvingly at everything she did, whereas the men felt at ease with her. She was perfect.

"Constantine?" Constantine looked up from the bank papers that had arrived this morning. Amadeo had made his customary donation, as had Daniel–Draco whose contribution was also becoming regular. Constantine had given up on it, simply accepting it and moving on. Nothing she could say would change it, anyway.

"Hey, Gin. Sit down." Ginny settled herself easily on the floormat beside Constantine. Africa suited the youngest Weasley, her skin was tanned slightly golden despite large quantities of sun-blocking spells, and she seemed more athletic, and happier. "How are you?" Ginny nodded enthusiastically but didn't reply.

"How's the bank work coming on?" She asked, gesturing to the papers in Constantine's hands. She shrugged.

"Amadeo and Daniel have made their contribution for the month." Constantine said. "And Amadeo sent a letter. He says to say hello, by the way." Ginny grinned.

"Hello back."

"He also says Harry's looking for you." Ginny's grin disappeared.

"He can't find me here, can he?" She asked, sounding worried. Constantine shook her head.

"It's unplottable." She replied, "To protect the children more than anything. But it makes it a good hidey-hole."

"Better than my flat." Ginny said bitterly. Constantine frowned, Ginny hadn't said anything about her sudden arrival in Africa, she had merely appeared one night at the airport and Constantine had apparated to meet her.

"Ginny, what happened?" Constantine asked gently. Ginny met her gaze.

"I told him and he flipped out. Seriously, Constantine, he went psycho. I apparated to my flat in Manchester and he followed me. He trashed the place, threatened me, and said he'd be back in the morning and we'd get married privately. I grabbed a bag and apparated here."

"I'm so sorry, Ginny." Constantine said softly. Ginny shook her head.

"It's okay. You know, I don't think Harry's a bad person." She began. Constantine raised an eyebrow. "Despite everything, he's still Harry." Ginny looked calculatingly at Constantine. "You loved him once." Constantine sighed and shook her head, and Ginny continued. "He's paranoid, obsessive, controlling…I'm not saying he isn't. Thing is, Constantine, they're the results of his childhood."

"He wasn't like that as a child!" Constantine pointed out. Ginny looked at her pensively.

"Wasn't he?" Ginny asked. Constantine thought back, remembering their time at Hogwarts. He had been a bit paranoid, like his way of blaming Malfoy for any possible evil. He had always been so sure that Draco was behind everything. In terms of obsession, well, Harry and Quidditch had driven Hermione insane for seven years. As for controlling…he did always have to play the hero, and he had been quite bossy when he was Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, on a par with Wood, many had said. Now there was an obsessive controlling Quidditch Captain.

Wood hadn't tried to kill her though.

"Harry's position of power, i.e. being the Minister, has just exemplified everything, Constantine." Ginny explained. "And the idea of Granger rising and destroying him scares him. He counted on her, Constantine. And then he was told she would destroy him, destroy the wizarding world. What was he meant to think?"

"Well, he could use his brain for a mere moment and realise it was bull." Constantine snorted. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Maybe you don't realise it yet, Constantine, and Granger probably doesn't either. But by hunting her like he has, he's given her every reason to rise and destroy him. And knowing Harry, he's worked that out for himself."

&


	6. Chapter 6

Here's another update for you, guys. Good news is I've figured out how it's going to end, so hopefully the writing will come quicker now. I just don't want to rush it and have a rubbish ending after all the work I've put in so far, so it'll take time but there is a light at the end of the tunnel that hopefully isn't an oncoming train. Hope you like this bit, we've still got a ways to yet, but we're getting there. Enjoy, Istalindar.

&

Much as Constantine loved Africa, she wasn't African. In her heart, she was Western, she didn't understand their ways in Africa. This was proven to her nearly three months after she had arrived in Africa, when she was out with the women walking for water. One of the women had been bitten by a snake, and once the others had established what kind of snake it was, they had opted to leave her. It was going to be near-dark when they got home anyway, and there wasn't any time to waste. Constantine just couldn't understand this. The woman was dying, but medicine could save her if they could get her back, but the women were unwilling to sacrifice the precious vats of water for her. Constantine just didn't get it, how could water be more important than the woman? In the end Constantine just waited with her, making her way home in the dark with the three others who had elected to stay, but when they arrived at the village, Tom was waiting for her. And he was furious.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" He hissed, grabbing her arm and hauling her bodily into the nearest hut, that luckily, happened to be both hers and empty. "Do you even understand that this isn't London? There are animals out there that will quite happily EAT YOU!" She jerked her arm away, rubbing at the marks where he had gripped it.

"She was dying, Tom, I couldn't just leave her." Constantine retorted. Tom looked at her as though she were mad.

"Constantine, if she was dying, leaving her was exactly what you needed to do." He said slowly, as though she were a dim-witted child. She glared.

"I am not going to leave a woman to die alone in the middle of some wasteland!" She shot back. "And yes, I am aware there are lions and hyenas and all manner of other big-toothed animals out there that would eat me, except I cast a repelling charm on them, and since I'm back here safe and sound, with the others, I think we can safely say its not a big deal!"

"It's a big deal, Constantine." He said flatly. "Not because you stayed out, or because you wandered home in the dark, but because it means you still don't understand Africa, for all your money and your projects." He sneered and her and strode out. Constantine stared, stunned, at his retreating back. The bastard.

He acted like she didn't bloody care. So she wasn't African, so she didn't understand how they could leave a sick woman alone to die in the African desert. That didn't make her a soft Westerner, that made her compassionate for fuck's sakes. And she was safe…one didn't become the best auror in Ministry history without learning to protect yourself from all the beasties the night could throw at her. And compared to some of the monsters she'd faced, lions were alongside kittens on the threatening scale.

Though, in Tom's defence, he didn't know she'd been one of the best Aurors in Ministry history. And if he asked Harry, Harry would say Constantine had never been an auror. Pfft. Tom should learn to trust her. But it did illuminate one thing: it was time for her to go home. She wasn't sure how or what or why…regarding anything. She hadn't decided whether or not she was speaking to Daniel-Draco again, although she was bound to come up against him and have to, anyway. And she'd have to find somewhere to live. And something occupying to do. She sighed. It seemed like a chore, just being alive. Not in the dreary, 'I want to kill myself' way, but every step she took seemed so complicated, like she couldn't move without being run off her feet. It was very frustrating.

"Connie?" Ginny ducked inside the hut and Constantine glared.

"I've told you not to call me that." She commented. Ginny grinned.

"It keeps you from becoming too high and mighty. Constantine is quite a presumptuous name, you know."

"How do you figure?" Constantine asked, leaning back against the wall and stretching her legs along the floor. Ginny shrugged.

"It just seems like one of those names. Hey, I heard Tom was spitting fire at you earlier." Constantine snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. I opted to stay behind with one of the women who got bitten by a snake. She was dying and everyone was just going to leave her there, but I decided to wait with her."

"Past dark in the African grasslands." Ginny added. Constantine sighed.

"You too?" Ginny winked.

"You know me." She said. "I'd've stayed with her too."

"You would have?" Constantine asked, hopeful. If even Ginny was doubting her, maybe she'd lost it worse than she thought.

"Of course." Ginny said. She sat down beside Constantine, putting an arm around her shoulders. "In part, it is a Western thing, like Tom said. The women here will grieve for Nari, you know they will. And tomorrow the men will go and get her."

"She'll be ravaged by hyenas by that point."

"For a burial." Ginny continued, ignoring Constantine's interruption. "These people care. But survival long ago became a top priority, much more so than watching a doomed woman die." Constantine sighed.

"I'm thinking of going back to England." She said finally. Ginny nodded.

"And what?"

"I don't know." Constantine admitted. "That's what I was just thinking…I don't have a plan. I have to find something worthwhile to do when I'm not attending brunches." Ginny grinned.

"What about something like this?" She asked.

"Children in the UK have access to Hogwarts if they're magically talented." Constantine pointed out.

"Not the schooling." Ginny elaborated. "The safehouses. Get a bunch of unplottable houses, convert them into hostels, get staff and then make them safehouses. For kids who can't go to Hogwarts, kids that won't…basically magical kids that, for whatever reason, aren't at school and can't go home." Constantine thought about it. It made sense, actually.

"There were twenty first years this year." Ginny said quietly. Hermione stared, and Ginny snorted bitterly. "For the Golden Age of the Magical World, twenty first years from the entire United Kingdom isn't very many."

"That can't be right." Hermione protested. "Twenty is nothing!"

"I know." Ginny bit her lip. "McGonagall has theories." Constantine blinked and stared at Ginny.

"What theories?" Constantine asked slowly, theories of her own already spinning through her mind. Ginny shrugged.

"I don't know anything about it. But something is stopping a helluva lot of kids going to school, Constantine." Constantine smiled slowly.

"Alright." She said, taking a deep breath and letting it out. She looked at Ginny, who grinned.

"I'm ready when you are." Constantine smiled, rising to her feet and offering Ginny a hand. "Do you have a plan? Or are you just rushing into this?"

"Since when do I rush into anything?" Constantine questioned, one eyebrow arched. Ginny nodded, conceding the point.

"So you have a plan." Constantine smiled.

"No. But I will have, once I work out what's going on."

It didn't take long to sort out affairs in Africa so she could leave without the place falling apart without her. To be honest, she was mostly redundant there. The people she left in charge of the program didn't need her, that's why she'd chosen them to be in charge. Basically, she was their bank, not their boss. And she got the impression some of them were glad to see the back of her, so they could go back to running things the way they were used to. Constantine wasn't too worried, she knew all of them personally, and trusted them all.

So, to England.

Finding a flat wasn't hard. Constantine and Ginny decided to share, as it appeared Ginny was all in for this project too. Between the pair of them, they found a flat they both appreciated in central London, in the hubbub of the Muggle city. Most wizards didn't like being in the centre of a Muggle metropolis, due to noisy, stupid, clumsy Muggle 'contraptions' and the inability to do magic whenever the whim came to them. It made an ideal place for Constantine and Ginny to be.

And they both doubted very much that Harry would check for them on his doorstep.

Either way, the flat was beautiful, overlooking the Thames, and warded so strongly it made Constantine flinch every day for three weeks when she stepped inside. And to top it all off, while it wasn't unplottable, placing it on a map was difficult. That was the hard part, seeing as Constantine had to charm the entire building. But being a Muggle building, they couldn't completely remove it from the cartography table.

Once they'd been settled, furniture bought and Western clothes shopping accomplished, Constantine and Ginny made their plan of attack. Ginny would go to the Manor and inform Amadeo, and Daniel if he was there, of their return while Constantine went to Scotland to talk to the Headmistress, and possibly some of the older students, too. Then Constantine would join Ginny at the Manor to see what Amadeo thought of their plan. Then, once the two women had returned to London, they would start calling their contacts, trying to follow any leads McGonagall might have indicated while Constantine was in Scotland.

So.

Constantine was greatful she wasn't going to Wiltshire first, she admitted as she apparated into Hogsmeade. Wiltshire meant Malfoys, and Constantine wasn't sure she could face them yet. Amadeo, yes, Daniel, less so.

A carriage met her at the edge of Hogsmeade, and Constantine climbed in gratefully, not anticipating the long walk up the hill in her rather expensive heeled shoes. It had been raining, unsurprisingly, and was muddy. And she had an image to keep up.

The carriage dropped her outside of the front door of Hogwarts, and Snape met her just inside.

"Miss DeVere." He said curtly, waves of displeasure at his current duty coming off him.

"Professor Snape." She replied back. He looked at her sharply at her tone, and she checked herself. Snape had spent too much time around Hermione.

So had Harry though, and he had never made the connection. On the other hand, Snape was so much smarter than Harry was it was like comparing a flea to an astrophysicist.

Well, maybe that was mean to the flea. Constantine restrained a smile.

"This way." Snape said, sweeping off up the stairs, expecting her to follow in his wake. It was quite like being at school again, Constantine thought. Though when she was back at school, she would have found him so much more intimidating.

How times had changed.

Snape knocked twice on the door to McGonagall's old office, and they both heard the curt 'Enter'. Snape opened the door and gestured for Constantine to go first, then followed her in, shutting the door behind them. McGonagall stood to greet her, and as they shook hands, Constantine looked her over. She was getting old. She suddenly noticed McGonagall looking at her, and when she met the woman's gaze, something seemed to click for the Headmistress, and she smiled, squeezing Constantine's hand briefly before releasing it.

"Miss DeVere." McGonagall said. Constantine smiled.

"Please, call me Constantine." McGonagall nodded.

"Then call me Minerva, please." Constantine smiled. "So, Constantine. I was most surprised when I received your letter." Constantine smiled.

"Thank you very much for seeing me." She paused.

"What is it you want?" Snape asked. Minerva frowned, and Constantine, once again, restrained a smile. Unbelievable as it may seem, but suddenly, she realised she had missed this. Snape, the one of the few seemingly capable of keeping her on her toes, sour-mouthed, embittered prick that he was.

"Severus." Minerva said warningly.

"Minerva, it's fine, I promise you." Constantine said with her most engaging laugh. She twisted in her chair to look at Snape, who stood gargoyle-like by the door. "Professor Snape, please sit down." She gestured to the empty chair beside her, and Snape scowled before doing as she asked.

"What do you want?" He repeated. "Someone like you doesn't really have much business in a school, I wouldn't have thought." Constantine didn't rise to the bait.

"Actually, I have a few questions." She said. "I found out recently that there were only twenty first years this year. Do you know why?" Minerva and Snape were immediately suspicious.

"How did you find out?" Minerva demanded.

"And why do you care?" Snape asked. Constantine looked at the pair of them, and realised she wasn't going to get anywhere with them unless she was honest. She looked piercingly at Minerva.

"Minerva, is this room safe? Warded?"

"Of course, why?" Minerva asked cautiously.

"Because I'm going to show you something which must not, under any circumstances, leave this room." She glanced at Snape, who met and held her gaze, before he raised his wand, muttered a spell she didn't know, then nodded.

"It won't get any safer without rousing suspicion." He commented. She nodded, her hands rising to the necklace at her throat, two opals and a diamond in a silver-set stack. The moment she set the necklace on the desk, she changed. When the change was complete, Hermione smiled at Minerva.

"You had me from the beginning." She said. "Why didn't you say?"

"Miss Granger?" Snape demanded. "What on earth-"

"It's just a glamour." Hermione shrugged. "Albeit a very powerful and old one."

"May I?" Minerva gestured to the necklace, and Hermione nodded, watching as her transfiguring professor picked up the necklace, inspecting it from every angle.

"Well, it explains a bit more." Snape commented darkly. "Though why you care about the student numbers-"

"Please." Hermione interrupted. "Why would I not? They're unbelievably low, Professor, quite literally. Something is stopping the students attending."

"Or someone." Snape added. He looked at her intently. "What do you plan to do about it?" She shrugged.

"Find out as much I can, for starters." She said.

"This isn't the glamour's true form, is it?" Minerva asked suddenly. Hermione shook her head, taking the necklace back and transfiguring it back into it's original ring form before passing it back. Minerva took one look and gasped, getting the attention of both Snape and Hermione.

"What is it?" They asked together. They glanced at each other irritably, then back at the Headmistress.

"Where did you get this?" Minerva asked, setting the ring down on her desk gingerly.

"A friend." Hermione answered evasively. "Why?" Snape picked it up, looking on the inside.

"The inscription." He commented. "I know that inscription." Minerva snorted.

"Of course you do. _Tribuo nos sto iunctus nos cado_." Hermione frowned.

"I've never heard it before. Can I see?" Snape passed her the ring.

"Where did you get the ring, Miss Granger?" Snape asked.

"Hermione." She said absently, concentrating on the inscription. Actually, it did sound familiar. Kind of.

"Hermione, where did you get the ring?" Snape asked with exaggerated patience.

"A friend."

"Which one?" Snape questioned. She frowned at him, not understanding why it was so important.

"Severus, it's obviously not a danger to her if she's been wearing it for the last three years." Minerva pointed out.

"What danger?" Hermione asked. She sighed. "I don't understand."

"Tell me who gave you that ring." Snape said. "Then we will all understand a lot better and we can explain it to you." Hermione rolled her eyes, something she would never have dared as a student.

"Fine." She took a deep breath. "Draco Malfoy."

There was utter, complete silence. Until a window smashed downstairs. Which was ignored anyway.

"Draco Malfoy gave you that ring?" Minerva asked eventually, disbelief evident in her voice.

"Yes." Hermione said, a little defensively. "He did."

"We weren't aware you two were…involved." Snape commented. She turned to him.

"No one was."

"And he gave this to you. Freely." Snape said again.

"I hardly stole it." Hermione retorted. "It was a birthday present. He gave it to me and the gold ball that goes with it that allows me to control my image. _Tribuo nos sto iunctus nos cado_. It sounds Latin."

"It is Latin." Minerva said thoughtfully.

"And it means?"

"Divided we stand, United we fall." Snape said softly. Hermione was quiet. It was fitting.

"It's fitting, actually." Minerva said quietly.

"You have no idea." Hermione muttered.

"The irony of it, actually, is quite remarkable." Snape added. Hermione glared.

"I don't understand."

"This ring is actually quite infamous, Miss Granger." Snape said.

"Hermione." She corrected. "How? Why?"

"Well, although it's not been proven, the legends say it was given to Rowena Ravenclaw by Salazar Slytherin." Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"Seriously?" She asked skeptically.

"It's not been proven." Snape reminded her. "Those are its big names. After that, it has bounced in and out of history, usually between couples that were never meant to be. Forbidden, if you like."

"It's just superstition." Hermione said. "Draco gave it to me to protect me. Nothing more."

"It's very creation was to protect the woman, Hermione." Minerva said gently. "And if Draco knew to give it to you, chances are he knew what it was."

"So what?" Hermione asked, exhasperated by all their pointless hints. "Look. Harry was trying to kill me. Draco kidnapped me to protect me and gave me that ring, which I started making ample use of when he was accused of treason and disappeared." Snape and Minerva were struck dumb.

"What do you mean, Harry was trying to kill you?" Minerva managed finally. "You're one of his best friends. You three were closer than anyone. He's been looking for you for years because he misses you!"

"Hardly." Hermione snorted. "I saw the evidence myself, Minerva. And I heard Harry admit it. And you know he's actually announced I've been accused of treason now, giving him a bit more of an advantage."

"And are you-"

"I'm fine with it." Hermione said quickly, cutting Snape off. "Right now I have other concerns."

"Like what?"

"Like why only twenty students came to Hogwarts this year." Hermione said. "Something, or someone," she nodded to Snape, "is keeping them away. And I intend to find out what."

"How?" She shrugged at Minerva's question.

"By asking questions, I guess. By seeing what you think before starting to talk to people I know, people I trust. Something's going on. There's goodness knows how many thousands of wizards in this country, and a fair amount of children. Twenty is absurd."

"It is that." Minerva agreed. Hermione quickly transfigured the ring back to the necklace and clasped it around her neck, feeling uneasy without Constantine's image. She could feel Snape watching her shrewdly, but she ignored him.

"So. Any theories? I need anything and everything you have to work on." Minerva sighed and shook her head.

"Not really." She said. "There's rumours of a Ministry department that watches people, keeps track of their movements, but eleven year olds? What are they going to do to endanger the government?"

"Perhaps it's the parents that are too afraid to send away their kids." Constantine offered.

"This is the Golden Age." Snape said mockingly, and Hermione smiled bitterly.

"So it is." She replied. There was a long pause.

"There isn't much I can say. Most of my thoughts are groundless, Herm-Constantine." Minerva corrected herself. "It could be because the parents are too afraid to send their kids away, could be because someone has told them not to. Could be, god forbid, that there aren't that many magical children left."

"That's not it." Constantine said thoughtfully. "In Africa there were loads of magical kids."

"Maybe we should move to Africa." Snape said unhelpfully. Minerva sighed.

"Constantine, there isn't that much we can do." She said. "We take the students we're given."

"How do you know which students are magical and which ones aren't?" Constantine asked.

"Some children, like the Weasleys, Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy and similar have been on the waiting list since they were born. Others, like Miss Granger, are found."

"How?" Constantine asked. "How are they found?"

"The Ministry detects magic." Snape said. "As children, many Muggle-born witches and wizards perform magic unknowingly, often when they're having temper tantrums. This throws up a flag at the Ministry, and they forward the names to us, and when the children reach eleven we write to them." Constantine nodded thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking?" Minerva asked. Constantine shrugged.

"They have to keep the lists somewhere." She commented. "I want to see whether there were really only twenty on this years."

"Barely ten." Minerva corrected. "Eleven of the students we received this year were already on the waiting list." Constantine nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright. I'll see what I can find out." She said, rising to her feet. She smiled at her ex-professors. "Thank you for seeing me."

"Of course." Minerva smiled. "And Miss DeVere?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful." Constantine nodded, and Snape unlocked the door and held it open for her, accompanying her downstairs.

"Draco really gave you that ring?" He asked suddenly. Constantine laughed.

"Yes."

"He must care for you an incredible amount." Snape said quietly. "Do you know where he is?"

"Yes." She answered equally as quietly. Snape nodded.

"Then some advice. Don't lose him." Constantine smiled.

"Professor Snape, I do believe you are becoming a romantic." She said mockingly. He looked at her seriously.

"I'm being serious." He said. "Divided we stand, united we fall? You think that inscription is just nostalgic? You know as well as I that there's power in words, Constantine." He paused. "If he gave you that ring as you say, then there's a link between you two that goes beyond this supposed Golden Age. If you've fought, I suggest you find him and make up." Constantine frowned.

"Sir-"

"And call me Severus. I was never _your_ professor." The way he emphasised 'your' made it clear what he meant. "Goodbye, Constantine." She smiled, touching his arm briefly.

"Goodbye, Severus." She turned and headed down the steps, climbing into the carriage that would carry her to Hogsmeade, and when she turned back to look at the steps up to Hogwarts, he was gone.

&

She aparated straight into the foyer of the Manor, mildly surprised that she hadn't been locked out. Though when she remembered that it was her complex that kept them from speaking, not the Malfoys, it made sense.

The engraving on the ring kept echoing in her mind. She shook her head resolutely, and had barely taken one step towards the study when Draco appeared in front of her.

"Hello." She said quietly, meeting his gaze.

"Hello." He replied.

"Minerva told me about the inscription on the ring." She commented.

"I did it to protect you." He replied, not clarifying about what it was he meant. There was a long pause. "I heard you have a new crusade."

"Yeah. Too few kids are going to Hogwarts." He nodded.

"I'll help, if you want me to." He sounded hopeful, but resigned at the same time, like he knew she would say no.

"Thanks." She said. "I'll need you." His gaze flew to her face.

"I'm sorry I lied to you." He said. She nodded.

"I'm sorry I didn't understand." She replied. There was another long pause.

"Ginny and Amadeo are in the study." He gestured to the slightly open door off the foyer. "Shall we?" She nodded, and proceded him into the room, taking the empty seat across from Ginny and Amadeo, Draco sitting beside her. Amadeo and Ginny look at them speculatively, then Ginny broke out of her reverie.

"Find anything interesting?" She asked. Constantine nodded.

"A lot of things, actually. But regarding the kids, not that much. Both Severus and Minerva think there is something or someone preventing the kids going to school. Chances are its in government."

"Why would Harry do that, though?" Ginny questioned. "Stop kids going to Hogwarts? He loved it there, why would he have a grudge against them?"

"Minerva and Severus don't think the way he does." Draco said quietly. "They wouldn't teach the Ministry way."

"But the Ministry can't interfere like that in Hogwarts." Constantine argued. "That was Fudge's problem, too."

"Harry's no Fudge, Constantine." Amadeo pointed out. "Harry's the Boy-Who-Lived. Fudge was the man-who-didn't-quite-make-the-grade. There's a significant difference." Constantine nodded in acknowledgement.

"True. But how would he get away with it? It doesn't make sense." Nobody could answer her question.

"I could ask him." Draco said eventually. Constantine snorted.

"Ask him?" She said skeptically. "Good luck."

"Actually, Harry and Daniel are good friends now." Amadeo said. "Something about you ditching them both."

"You said I ditched you?" Constantine asked incredulously. Draco met her gaze evenly.

"Well, you did." Constantine sighed.

"I never ditched him though."

"You never gave him the opportunity." Ginny said with a smile. "You trampled all over his poor, aching heart."

"He was engaged to you." Constantine protested.

"Which made it all the more fun, I imagine." Ginny replied, her smile widening. "You ditched him." Constanine closed her eyes in defeat.

"So, what?" She questioned. "You're just gonna wander in, say, 'Hi Harry, we know no one is going to Hogwarts. Wanna tell us how you did it?' I'm not sure how well that's going to work."

"Not everyone has your lack of tact." Amadeo commented drily.

"Not everyone needs it." Constantine smiled back. Amadeo rolled his eyes.

"Actually, with an invisibility cloak, I could go in with someone wearing the cloak. They could get what they need and when I leave could go with me." Constantine thought it over.

"It's a good idea." She said. "And if you and Harry are as good friends as you say, you could possibly even get him out his office. Say he needs to get out more or something." Ginny nodded.

"Leaving Constantine in his office by herself to look through his files." No one questionned the fact it would be Constantine.

"Then what?" Amadeo asked. "Supposing you even find something incriminating, what are you going to do? Who are you going to take it to? I imagine Harry's got most people in his pockets."

"Some of the older generation would be harder to sway." Constantine mused. "Like Minerva and Severus."

"But they're not in a position to help." Amadeo pointed out. She nodded.

"Madame Bones." Ginny said suddenly. Everyone looked at her.

"Susan Bones grandmother. She's on the council, and she's stayed pretty straight through everyone."

"She favoured Harry at his trial though." Constantine argued.

"That was over a decade ago, though. Harry's changed, and I bet she hasn't."

"Crochety old witch." Draco muttered. The girls looked at him and he shrugged. "She never liked me."

"That's because back then you were thoroughly unlikable." Constantine reminded him. "Alright. So I'll go in with Draco to the Ministry, get the papers and take them to Madame Bones. And hopefully she won't call me out and get me thrown in jail."

"We'll give you a portkey." Draco said nonchalantly.

"Won't work." Ginny broke in. "Portkeys don't work any more in the council chambers than they do in the Ministry, being part of the same building and all. If Constantine gets stuck in there, she's stuck until we can get her out."

"This is getting more dramatic by the second." Constantine complained. Amadeo grinned.

"You wanted a revolution."

&


	7. Chapter 7

Second chapter of the day guys, I hope you're proud. I'm actually adding so I have a chance to say a few things without bothering with a pesky (and unsatisfying) author note. Firstly, this chapter is wholeheartedly devoted to xxTeardropKisses, because as ever she was my first and faithful reviewer. You give the most amazing reviews, and I'm so pleased you like my story, and I'm really sorry I forgot to dedicate the last chapter to you, because you totally deserve it. xx

Secondly, the whole thing about the woman in the desert…I don't actually know that they do that, but it makes sense. It definitely isn't how we live in the west, but very little about the African wilderness is. I might be inaccurate, and I admit I didn't research it (though I doubt they'd publish something like that anyway), so I'm sorry if it offends anyone. I put it in as an example of how different Constantine was to people like Tom and Ngugi, despite her best efforts.

So, here's the second chapter of the day, and it's quite a long one especially for xxTeardropKisses because you're amazing and I adore you .

Enjoy, everyone. Istalindar.

&

This was uncomfortable. Not physically, but kind of emotionally. Constantine kept her eyes shut as she pressed her face into Daniel's back, her arms wrapped around him to slide into his pockets underneath his hands, concealed by the invisibility cloak. It was the best way they could manage it without putting him under the cloak too, but it meant that she pressed flush against his back and it was a little awkward.

They apparated into the Ministry no problem, and she followed him silently through security, the guards greeting him jovially, quite obviously familiar with him. He led the way to Harry's office, knocking once before letting them in. Harry looked up from his desk.

"Hey there." Daniel said with a grin, "You busy?" Harry shook his head and gestured to a seat.

"Hey Dan. How's it going?" Constantine grinned. Daniel would in all likelihood hate being called Dan, just like she hated being called Connie.

"Just great. Actually, I was wondering if you wanted coffee. I mean, you look tired, mate." Constantine agreed. Not that she felt sorry for him, but Harry had bags under his eyes and looked thinner than usual.

"Thanks." Harry said drily. "I'm sorry, Dan, but I have a lot to do." Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"Will half an hour kill you?" He asked. "Drink some decent coffee instead of the shit you have here, take a long deep breath and relax a second before you go back to all your work. It makes sense." Harry sighed.

"Daniel."

"Harry." Daniel crossed his arms, waiting, and Harry gave in.

"Fine. Half an hour, tops." He said warningly, pushing back his chair and grabbing his coat. "Let's go." Constantine stepped hurriedly out the way as Harry swept towards the door, Daniel on his heels. She waited until the door shut, and was about to cast warding spells when she heard Harry do it for her from the outside.

She only hoped there weren't motion sensors.

She moved cautiously around for the first minute or so, and when security didn't come running, she quickly got down to business, taking off the cloak and setting it the side so it was within easy reach yet not in her way. She started going through his files, checking his brief case, looking for anything that would be helpful. She was about to give up in helpless frustration when she noticed a file flat on the bottom on the cabinet drawer, beneath the hanging files. She pushed them back, wincing at the loud screetch they made, and pulled the file out.

Jackpot.

It was everything about Hermione. Not so useful on the kids education front, but a start. She replicated it and tossed it into her bag, replacing the original before she started looking again. It was only the desk drawers she hadn't checked now and she was worried they'd be warded, but she tried anyway, gingerly tugging at the drawer handles. All but one were unlocked and slid noiselessly open, and had nothing useful in them. She pulled her wand and muttered 'alohamora', and it popped right open. And there were the school files. She replicated the contents of the drawer, shoved them in her bag and swept the cloak over her, shutting the drawer with her knee just as she heard Harry unward the office. She locked the drawer with her wand and then stepped quickly out of the way as Harry returned to his office, followed by Daniel.

"See how much better you feel?" Daniel asked with a grin. Harry nodded.

"Gloat all you want." He muttered. "Dan, look, I'm sorry but I really do have a lot of work to do."

"No problem, I've taken up plenty of your lunch hour already. If you even take one." Daniel grinned. "I'll see you later, okay? We'll get drinks." He opened the door and leaned on it, letting Constantine slip through.

"Sure." Harry smiled. "Thanks for stopping by, Dan."

"Anytime, mate." Daniel said, and headed out the door, shutting it behind him. Constantine fell in line, walking silently beside him to the apparating area, where she assumed her original position, pressed against his back with her hands in his pockets, and they apparated away, appearing again at Malfoy Manor.

Constantine stepped away from him quickly, the invisibility cloak sliding from her shoulders.

"Thanks Dan-Draco." She smiled as he changed in front of her. "I got the stuff."

"Seriously? I kept him there as long as I could." Constantine smiled.

"Yeah, it was great." She held up her bag. "Lot's of incriminating files."

"About you?"

"About Hermione." Constantine corrected. "And about the kids. I haven't had a chance to read them yet, so we'll see if they're actually any good or if we just wasted our time."

"Did you check his locked drawer?"

"Yeah, that's where I found the file on the kids. Hermione's was at the bottom of his filing cabinet."

"Do you think he's forgotten about it?" Draco asked, folding his arms and following her into the study. She shrugged, glancing at him over her shoulder as she dropped onto the couch, plopping the bag next to her and pulling out the two files.

"In favour of helping kids play truant?" She questioned. She shrugged. "Maybe. But I think the moment Hermione turns up again, Harry will be down on her like a ton of bricks."

"He can't assassinate her because some prophecy said she might threaten his power." Draco pointed out.

"That's what I'm going to tell Madame Bones." Constantine agreed. "I'll get the recording of the prophecy off Ginny, so Madame Bones can hear that too, it might help."

"And how will you explain all this information?" Draco said. "Bones is going to want to know."

"A friend." Constantine said. "And strictly speaking, it's all hypothetical anyway."

"Except it isn't."

"It is until I decide I can trust her not to go running to people she might not be able to trust. Too much depends on me to throw it away."

"So let me go." Constantine stared and Draco raised his eyebrows. "Come on Constantine, it's not that surprising an offer." He said, leaning back in the armchair and stretching out his legs. "I know as well as you what depends on you staying out of jail. If Daniel goes and gets fucked over, its no great loss."

"Not true." Constantine said gently. The sudden hopefullness in Draco's eyes made her sigh. "Draco…" She didn't know what to say. She'd been hoping this wouldn't come up, though she supposed that was just wishful thinking.

"I'm sorry." Draco stood to go, and Constantine grabbed his wrist as he passed her, heading for the door.

"Draco. What there is between us is…messed up, I know. And I know something has to be done about it. But not yet. I want this to be finished. I want to go back to being me. And I can't sort out whatever is between us until I can sort out myself. And that can't be done until Harry is gone."

"So you agree there is something between us." Draco said. She closed her eyes briefly, then rose, forcing him to step back.

"There will always be something between us, Draco." She said, meeting and holding his gaze. "But until this-" She snatched the necklace off her throat, breaking the chain and dropping it on the table to their side, "Is nothing more to me than a beautiful gift from you, I can't do it." Constantine had vanished, leaving Hermione in her place. She smiled, one hand reaching up to touch his face. He caught her hand and pressed it to his cheek. "It might be a long time, Draco." She warned him.

"As long as it happens." He replied. She smiled.

"Well, lets pull this off first." She said with a small laugh. He nodded with a smile, and then ducked his head, his lips pressing to hers. She froze, and he pulled back. "Draco…"

"To keep me going." He said with a smile, releasing her and picking up the broken chain and pendant, and fixing it with a wave of his wand, and reclasping it around her neck. "You know we're gonna do this, right?"

"It must be your dream come true." Hermione said wryly, sitting back down on the couch and picking up the folders again. Draco sat across from her, picking up the other folder.

"What, bringing Potter down off his high horse, with Granger's help, no less? It's been a fantasy since I was thirteen."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"The sex part only came in when I was fifteen." Draco said with a sly grin, waiting for her reaction.

"I didn't know you swung that way." She replied mildly, not looking up. Draco was struck dumb. Not quite the reaction he'd been aiming for. She looked up finally, all light and innocence. "Do you want to go through that folder and I'll go through this one and we can swap?"

"Not sex with Potter, you disgusting woman!" Draco exclaimed, horrified by her implied notions of his sexuality.

"Of course not, Draco. Shall we get on?" she asked patronisingly.

"Constantine!"

"I heard you, Draco. You've been having sex dreams since you were fifteen."

"Not about Harry." Draco pressed.

"Of course." She smiled at him, then looked back at her folder, hiding a grin.

"Ugh." Draco gave up the argument with a disgusted snort, starting to read through his own file, well aware that Constantine was privately gloating.

&

Constantine took a deep breath then let it out, smoothing her jacket, and regripping the bag at her side before knocking on the door.

"Come in." Constantine stepped through the door and closed it behind her.

"Madame Bones, thank you very much for seeing me." The witch in front of her was old, but had the same ageless eyes that Dumbledore had had.

"Let's see you then, child. I like to look at the people I'm speaking to." Constantine obligingly stepped closer, and stood in silence for a long moment while Madame Bones inspected her. "So. Miss DeVere. I understand you have something you wish to share with me."

"I have…a query." Constantine said cautiously, still standing. Madame Bones gestured to the chair in front of her desk.

"Then sit. Tell me, Miss DeVere. Why me? I'm assuming the query is of a rather sensitive nature, which is why you came to a council member. But there are several to choose from, which is why I ask."

"I remember being told, many years ago when Fudge was in power, that no matter how many officials were in his pocket, you weren't one of them. I came to you on the assumption that that still holds true."

"Assumptions, Miss DeVere, are dangerous." Madame Bones said. Constantine nodded.

"I know that." There was a long pause.

"So, your query." Madame Bones said, steepling her fingers in front of her face. "Ask."

"This is all hypothetical, of course." Constantine began.

"If it was hypothetical you wouldn't have bothered coming to me." The older witch interrupted sharply. Constantine met her gaze but didn't answer.

"What would the position of the council be should the highest point in government be found corrupt?" Constantine asked. Madame Bones raised her eyebrows.

"By which of course you are referring to the Minister." She clarified. "That would depend, Miss DeVere, on many things." Constantine waited. "The accuracy of your information, the seriousness of his crime, and, of course, the number of council members 'in his pocket', as you put it." Constantine nodded, and continued to sit in silence. Madame Bones finally smiled. "Well, then, Miss DeVere. You have piqued my interest. What is it that Minister Potter has involved himself in?"

"Hypothetically." Constantine put in, pulling the file of the children's education from her bag, and laying it on the desk in front of Madame Bones. "This folder relates to the number of children attending Hogwarts this year. Over a hundred were eligible: eleven years old and magically gifted. Twenty eight of those students attended academies in Europe, eight more attended the two academies in the US, with eighteen more at other academies in Japan and China. That leaves sixty four students to attend Hogwarts this September." Constantine paused.

"I do believe the number was somewhat less than that." Madame Bones said quietly. She looked thoughtful. Constantine nodded.

"Twenty attended this September. Forty six magical eleven years aren't attending school. And it isn't a choice parents can make for their children…magical children can only be tutored up to age eleven before law states that they must attend an institution of the parents choice."

"There are other magical schools besides those in Europe and the States." Madame Bones pointed out. Constantine nodded.

"True. But these children did not attend those schools."

"You've checked, I presume." Madame Bones nodded, flipping through the file. Then she closed it and looked up at Constantine. "This is all very interesting and definitely warrants further investigation, however, I want to know the real reason you're persuing this."

"Madame Bones, this is quite worrying enough." Constantine argued. Madame Bones nodded.

"Quite, quite. And it is your cause for uproar, I understand. But it is not your reason, Miss DeVere. It is not what drives you. And that is what I would like to know." Constantine studied Madame Bones' face for a moment, mentally crossed her fingers, then pulled the file on Hermione Granger from her bag and put it on top of the file on the children.

"Ah." Madame Bones said with a smile, looking down at the file. "The case of the mysterious Miss Granger." Constantine didn't blink. "May I ask what interest a pureblooded woman of the nobility such as yourself has in a muggleborn witch?"

"I find her case interesting."

"The woman has been missing for several years. The minister went to some lengths to find her, as I recall, but was unsuccessful. It's almost a contradictory case to the one regarding education."

"I don't think so." Constantine replied. "Papers in that folder contain orders for Miss Granger's assassination, given out to a few select aurors several hours before she vanished entirely."

"So someone told her and she hid." Constantine nodded.

"Yes. But that isn't what I find interesting. Her friendship with Minister Potter and Captain Weasley was common knowledge, as was the fact she was widely seen as a pariah of high morals and hard work. Her auror record is both impressive and impeccable. So why did Minister Potter give the order to kill her? Furthermore, why did he then, after failing, tell everyone he was searching for her out of friendship while the orders still stood?"

"Interesting questions, Miss DeVere." Madame Bones said. "But what is it you wish me to do?"

"I have one more thing to show you, Madame Bones." Constantine said, dipping once more into her bag and then pulling out a tape recorder. "Is the room warded?"

"Of course."

"Silencing spells?"

"Yes, Miss DeVere." Madame Bones said a little impatiently. Constantine nodded.

"This is a recording of a prophecy found in the Department of Mysteries, regarding Miss Granger and Minister Potter." She pressed play, and the pair sat in silence for the next six minutes while Trelawney's disembodies voice spoke. It finished, and Constantine pressed 'stop' and looked at Madame Bones. The old witch was pale, but her eyes were sharp.

"That is a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries." Madame Bones said. Constantine nodded. "Where did you get that?"

"A friend." Madame Bones nodded.

"I need more time to look at these folders."

"I can't leave them with you." Constantine replied apologetically. Madame Bones nodded.

"Then I hope you are patient. Because I will not make any action without all the information you possess and then that which I can gain myself." Constantine nodded.

"I am patient."

&

When Constantine appeared back in Malfoy Manor, she was immediately inundated with demands of her success. When everyone shut up, Constantine nodded.

"She's considering it."

"That's all?" Ginny demanded. "You were gone so long we thought you'd gone for a celebratory drink!"

"Without you? It's not worth my life." Constantine said drily. "No, Bones wanted to read everything I had, and I obviously couldn't leave it with her, so I sat there and waited."

"You have the patience of a saint." Ginny proclaimed. Constantine grinned.

"Actually, she reads fairly speedily. She was, however, more interested in the Granger case."

"Granger, missing children…" Amadeo pretended to weight them up. "Isn't that a tad odd?" Constantine shrugged, uncertain.

"Maybe. McGonagall knew who I was the moment she laid eyes on me. Who's to say that Bones is any different."

"Older generations are of a different mix." Amadeo agreed. Everyone looked at him, and he explained. "The older generations tend to be…not necessarily more powerful, but more able. More of them have sixth senses, more have second sight, that kind of thing. The older, more innate magics are dying out in our generations. Fewer psychics are born each year. Chances are that witches of McGonagall and Bones' generation may be able to see through the glamour. Or at least get a glimpse. Alternatively, Bones may only be able to see that it is a glamour and put two and two together, while McGonagall knows you personally so she can see through it. I don't know. Alternatively, it's nothing and Bones just has interests we don't know about."

"Whatever." Draco brushed away Amadeo's explanation. "What did she say to it?"

"She said she found it extremely interesting and that she would contact me." Constantine said. "Not the best arrangement, but it's hard to decide quickly whether to betray your government."

"They betrayed you." Draco said pointedly. Constantine shrugged.

"True. But it seems easier for them." She paused. "My point is, Bones is still an unknown, but I'm thinking optimistically."

"On the other hand, she could have gone to sell you out." Draco counterbalanced.

"Because I have you to think negatively." Constantine finished sweetly. "Now, Gin. We have the Parkinson Ball to shop for." Ginny nodded and hurried to the study to get her bag.

"The Parkinson ball?" Draco raised an eyebrow.

"Think of it this way, if I _don't_ attend, it'll be seen as a slight, especially now that I'm back in the country. Plus…Pansy has never liked Harry."

"She never liked Hermione either." Gin pointed out, rejoining them, purse in hand. "You're thinking of recruiting her to the cause?"

"Thinking about it." Constantine shrugged. "You ready?"

"As ever." Constantine smiled, waved, and disappeared, Ginny with her.

&

"Constantine, you look amazing." Pansy smiled and they air-kissed. "Where on earth did you get that dress?"

"Oh, please, Pansy." Constantine laughed. "The dress is nothing, especially compared to yours. That blue is absolutely stunning." Pansy preened.

"And Virginia." Pansy turned her attention to the youngest Weasley. "You certainly have grown out of Harry's shadow." Ginny smiled but didn't reply.

"It's a beautiful party." Constantine said, saving the conversation. "Your usual decorator?"

"Yes, Amir is very talented." Pansy said. "He has a flair for the exotic."

"Tasteful, too." Virignia commented. Pansy smiled but didn't reply. Constantine was a known factor: discreet, intelligent, slightly wicked. Ginny, on the other hand…was she with Potter or had they actually broken up? Was she all vanilla in every way or did she have a dark side, politically or otherwise?

The old families had survived Voldemort's fall, the Parkinsons, the Zabinis. But it didn't mean they didn't still have the same darkness that made them join Voldemort in the first place. There were a lot of secrets and skeletons in their closets, and while Constantine could be trusted to observe with a smirk, she could also be trusted to keep her mouth shut.

No one knew if that was true of Virginia Weasley.

"So…Constantine, how are the projects going?" Pansy smiled, one hand playing with her necklace.

"Well, thank you. Tom is a talented administrator, he keeps everyone in line." Constantine smiled.

"He's good looking, too." Pansy purred. Constantine arched an eyebrow.

"You know him?"

"I thought I'd investigate, Constantine. It isn't often that someone like us takes it upon themselves to contribute, n'est pas?" Pansy shrugged elegantly. Constantine smiled again, this time with a slight edge to it.

"You found it to your satisfaction, I trust?" There were double meanings in her words, and Ginny watched avidly. She was aware of the mistrust families like the Parkinsons had for her, and it had some truth to it. As Potter's fiancee, she hadn't really been exposed to this side of socialising, the side with double-edged words and cutting bitchiness. This was the side that stayed behind the glittering curtain of designer shoes and couture dresses.

"Relax, Constantine." Pansy laughed softly. "I haven't touched him. He's quite…professional."

"More than his job is worth to get involved with you, Pansy." Amadeo said smoothly, approaching and brushing his fingers over Pansy's bare shoulder. "May we talk?" Pansy gave a sly smile.

"Of course." She nodded at them. "Constantine, Virginia." They nodded back and she drifted off on Amadeo's arm. Constantine snagged two glasses of champagne off a passing waiter's tray and handed one to Ginny.

"That was…" Ginny paused, looking for the right word. "Vicious." Constantine smiled, sipping her drink and looking around at the asorted guests, making notes of who was and wasn't there, a habit she had gotten into a month into her foray as an undercover socialite.

"Pansy keeps you on your toes." Constantine agreed. "She's more intelligent than she ever made out at school, because she's known from the beginning that this was her future."

"Didn't stop Draco from working." Ginny commented. Constantine smiled.

"Draco had other goals, Ginny, than being a socialite." She shrugged elegantly. "I imagine you didn't see much of this with Potter. This is the women's side of things, which is a much harsher world than the mens. On Potter's arm I imagine you saw all the posturing at the Minsitry dinners rather than the bitching at private parties."

"Harry's invited to private parties." Ginny argued.

"Yes, but how many does he actually attend? Attending parties is accepting friendship, Ginny. I am friends with everyone, so I attend a lot of parties. Pansy, on the other hand, only attends Ministry events for the highly placed, and parties with those with whom it actually means something, or an old family. She doesn't attend just anything. It's a way of saying she won't lower herself to that level."

"Speaking of which, what did Amadeo want to talk about?" Ginny asked. Constantine shrugged again, sipping her champagne.

"No idea. His business stays, for the most part, his business. It keeps things simpler that way."

&

"That was interesting." Daniel commented, once they were all back at the Manor. Ginny and Constantine weren't planning on staying the night, but had accepted offers of coffee with the opportunity to catch up on what had happened.

"So?" Constantine asked, settling herself in the armchair and looking quite imperious. Amadeo grinned.

"So the Parkinsons are open to suggestion." He said. "Potter hasn't made many friends among the older families. In fact, from what I hear, he hasn't made many friends at all."

"Convenient." Constantine murmured. Ginny shot her a confused look, and then it suddenly dawned on her what Pansy and Amadeo had been talking about, followed by a revelation about why Constantine had lied…Constantine couldn't be implicated in any sort of Ministerial coup until it was too far on to be stopped.

"Quite." Ginny agreed, sitting on the couch and kicking off her shoes. "So the Parkinsons will help."

"They'll support." Daniel corrected. "They made it quite clear they won't risk their standing, the way Pansy's parents did with Voldemort. She managed to keep the money and estate by the skin of her teeth…I'm sure she gave several favours to those who would help." The tone of his voice lent no illusions to what those favours might be. "She won't risk all that again. Which means that we're on our own, but she won't rat us out."

"Speaking of on our own…" Ginny began, "What is it exactly that we're planning on doing?"

"Engineering Potter's downfall, of course." Daniel said with a shrug.

"Yes, but how? We've got pieces, but no real plan. Something to do with Hermione, something to do with the kids. Maybe even something to do with his apalling inability to follow road traffic laws. But we don't have links for them. Are we going to go to the press? Quietly turn votes against him so he's voted out? Are we going to speak against him and risk being excommunicated from society? We need a solid plan, and a timetable, or we'll all be ninety before this is finished and the whole thing would be a giant waste of our lives." Amadeo nodded and looked at Constantine.

"She's has a point."

"Of course she does. She always has a point." Constantine frowned. "What do you think? I can't openly oppose him, because the Projects will be the first thing that takes the fall for it and I can't risk that." She bit her lip thoughtfully. "On the other hand, I'm trusted. And for the most part, liked. I can talk to people who wouldn't necessarily talk to a Malfoy. Whereas you can talk to the older families, who might not listen to me."

"I think you underestimate yourself." Amadeo said seriously. "You've made quite a name for yourself. People know you won't risk yourself, so if you do something it's probably safe for them to do the same."

"So we won't do this openly." Ginny said. "That's good, because I was going to say that would be a terrible idea."

"So quietly turn votes?" Daniel said. "Potter may rule autonomously when he can, but he does so with backing. If he loses that backing, or say, another politician gets that backing, he'd have to leave."

"Who were you suggesting?" Constantine asked, green eyes sharp as she thought over his idea. It had a very important point: there was no point in deposing Harry if someone worse was going to replace him. And as bad as Harry could be, there was always someone worse.

"You." Constantine's eyebrows arched.

"That's ridiculous. I have no desire to be Minister." She replied. "And while I don't doubt that I'd be good at it, it's just a little too in line with the prophecy."

"What's wrong with that?" Amadeo asked.

"We wouldn't want to give that bat Trelawney the satisfaction." Ginny said flatly. Constantine smiled.

"And I'm not a politician anyway. I'm a socialite. I go to parties and play dress up with expensive clothes." She shrugged. "No, we need someone outside of our circuit. If nothing else, we'll get no support if people think we're making our own attempts at power. So. We need a youngish politician, who's open to encouragement."

"Same kind of encouragement as Pansy used to keep her house?" Daniel asked snidely. Constantine rolled her eyes.

"No. I'll leave that to Pansy, chances are she'll be there anyway. Encouragement of the financial sort, with ideas, invitations and a social foundation solid enough to survive Voldemort. That's the thing, my dear, rich friends, if you have a good enough social base you can do what you like."

"You are living proof." Amadeo conceded. "So. Who's young, idealistic, doesn't like Harry and lacks a proper social base to get him started?"

"Lucas Weatherley." Ginny said instantly. "He came to mind the moment you mentioned another politician. He's practically an unknown, but he has been a working politician for several years."

"Department?" Constantine asked.

"Magical security." Ginny replied. "He's head of the department, with links with Magic-Muggle relations."

"That sounds rather convenient." Constantine said cautiously. "What the catch?"

"If you think Ron is a social idiot…he resembled Lucius Malfoy compared to Lucas."

"What, evil, backstabbing, conceited…" Amadeo rattled off.

"Carry on, I haven't found one to argue with yet." Constantine said, her eyes falling on Daniel.

"So Lucas is a social retard." Daniel said. "Could be a problem."

"Possibly." Constantine tilted her head. "Or not. Ginny, is he attractive?"

"He could be." Ginny answered. "With some decent clothes and a haircut."

"Manners?"

"Basic at best."

"Ideals? Why is he a politician? What's his thing?"

"Who says he has a thing?" Daniel asked, a little disturbed by how the two women were talking about the man.

"Every politician has a thing." Ginny said dismissively. "He's liberal. Believes in Magic-Muggle equality, things like that."

"Oh dear God." Amadeo said with a deep, long suffering sigh. "Not another one."

"What's Potter's thing?" Daniel asked, crossing his arms.

"Righteousness." Constantine and Ginny said together. "Liberal is helpful." Constantine continued thoughfully. "Though Amadeo may have just illustrated a problem."

"Pureblood supremecy." Ginny nodded. "He might not sit well with the older families."

"Well, we'll be training him to be a decent politician, we can give him a hand with that as well." Constantine shrugged.

"What was Fudge's thing?" Daniel continued.

"Little dick." Ginny shrugged. "Big ego, little manhood. He spent his entire career trying to prove he was worth the position. And failing, for the most part." Daniel winced at her bluntness.

"Background? Ginny, focus." Constantine chided. Ginny winked at Daniel then turned to Constantine.

"Pretty normal. He's pureblood, which is helpful, but not from a particularly wealthy or influential family. He attended Hogwarts a few years after us."

"He's younger than us? That makes me feel old." Constantine grumbled.

"Worried about cradle-snatching?" Daniel asked snidely. She met his gaze and held it until he looked away before looking back at Ginny.

"Ok. So young, Hogwarts education…that could be useful, too. He might be interested in pupil numbers."

"Not all of us care about the education of the future." Daniel drawled. Constantine sighed.

"Are we going to have a problem, Daniel?" She asked. "Because if we are, I'd like to know about it now." Amadeo and Ginny made started to shift and she waved them back. "Stay, you two. Because this isn't about Hermione and Draco so it shouldn't be too private." Daniel glared, a sure sign that it _was_ about Draco and Hermione. "Daniel, we're not dating anymore. Even if I was thinking about sleeping with the politician, which I'm not, incidentally, it's got absolutely nothing to do with you. You can either support me or you can not, but it's up to you. So either keep your snide comments to yourself and help, or go away."

"It's my house." Daniel snapped.

"I'm only in one room of it." She replied evenly, her calmness irritating him. "It's not like I'm asking you to leave the entire building. Though I'm sure there is an outhouse suitable for your attitude."

"Enough." Amadeo interruped. "Both of you are acting like children, though in all fairness, you did start it." He directed his comment to Daniel. "Constantine's right, we won't pull this off if you two are bitching at each other. Either sort out this thing between you or let it lie but don't keep dragging it up. Because one day you're going to drag it up at exactly the wrong moment and it's going to ruin the pair of you. So stop it." Constantine nodded.

"Sorry." She said. She glanced at Daniel. "And to you. Though a little trust would be nice."

"A reason for it would be equally so." Daniel smiled venomously back.

"Fine. Daniel, this is my house too. Please leave." Amadeo said. Daniel stared at him in shock. "I meant it Daniel. She asked for your trust and you came out with yet another snide comment. We don't need that right now and I don't want to listen to it. Leave." Daniel stared round at the three, and found Constantine watching him impassively, Ginny staring at something fascinating in the carpet, and Amadeo waiting patiently. He glared and threw himself out of his chair and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. There was a pause.

"You shouldn't incite him like that, Constantine. You know exactly how to press his buttons." Amadeo said gently.

"I asked for his trust! Is that really too much to ask? It's not like I've been sleeping around with anyone."

"You slept with him." Ginny said quietly. Constantine looked at her.

"What?"

"You were in love with Draco but slept with Daniel, before knowing that they were the same person." She said. Constantine's lips pinched together in a look reminiscent of McGonagall.

"If he's going to get huffy about that then fine." She said. "I don't have time for it. He needs to grow up, and we need to focus on Lucas. What else can you tell me?"

Her swift change of subject wasn't lost on either Amadeo or Ginny, but they didn't comment on it, and continued to think on how they would pull off the coup long into the morning.

&


	8. Chapter 8

Well, here it is. Your introduction to Mr Lucas Weatherley. I'm rather fond of him myself, if I do say so. This story is finished (yay), so keep the reviews coming and I'll keep updating. I'll keep updating anyway but your reviews encourage me to write new stories (or finish old abandoned ones) that are marvelous and designed especially for your reading pleasure, so keep them coming. Hope you like this.

Istalindar.

&

Lucas Weatherley was what some might call a failed politician. He wasn't hugely ambitious, because he lacked the stomach for the kinds of acts that seemed to be the only way to get past the others on the political ladder, who also were being less than honest. He got as far as he was likely to while being honest, and then stayed there. He had no family to support, and he lived pretty modestly. He wasn't particularly interested in the social whirl, and attended only what he had to.

He was uninspiring, unimpressive and unknown. But he was happy.

And extrememly shocked when Constantine DeVere, of all people, appeared on his schedule one Monday, and walked into his office promptly at 10am. He stared for a moment at her awe-inspiring appearance…she was beautiful, after all, and had plenty of attitude to accompany her looks, and then managed the strangled question.

"What can I do for you, Miss DeVere?" She smiled brilliantly, and Lucas' knees went weak. Thank God he was sitting down. On second thoughts, he probably should have stood when she walked in. He stood hastily, and she laughed, waving a hand so he sat back down before sitting down herself across the desk from him.

"Don't stand, Mr Weatherley." She said. "I'm hardly the Minister." Lucas settled back and swallowed, waiting for her to continue. "I have a proposition for you, actually."

"Really?" Lucas was immediately wary…he'd heard that before and it usually led to embezzlement charges or something equally immoral. Constantine smiled, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Really. However, it isn't something I wish to discuss here…and believe me, it isn't what you think."

"I doubt it." Lucas said, some of his backbone returning as he got over the shock of having society's premiere socialite in his office. "I have heard that phrase before, Miss DeVere."

"I believe it." Constantine said, leaning back into the chair and crossing her legs. "However, my interest is more in your principles than money or power. I doubt you've heard that before." Lucas raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Do you even know what they are?" Constantine's eyes flashed with annoyance and it suddenly occurred to Lucas that she might be a little less air-headed than the socialite stereotype.

"I do actually." Her voice was calm, and betrayed none of the annoyance he'd just seen in her eyes. "Magic-muggle equality, and an end to the predjudice between them. You're a liberal, and aren't a follower of the pureblood supremacy movement, despite the fact you are one. Your views are along the same sort of lines as mine, actually, which is what piqued my interest."

"You're interested in equality?" Lucas was skeptical. "No offense, Miss DeVere, but you hardly seem the type." Constantine smiled, and there was an edge to the smile that again set his alarms ringing.

"Perhaps not. However, we can talk more about that later. I'm actually here to extend an invitation to dinner at the Malfoy Manor. I'd like you to go, it will give us an opportunity to talk at more length, privately."

"Miss DeVere, I'm sorry, but whatever your proposition, I'm not interested." Lucas said finally. There were too many holes in her argument: she believed in Magic-muggle supremacy but wanted him to go to dinner with the Malfoys, possibly the family least interested in equality. Hell, she said she believed in it, and look at her.

"All right." Constantine rose, and this time Lucas stood with her. "I just have one last thing to add, Mr Weatherley. Are you aware of how many students attended Hogwarts this September?"

"The average is around seventy." Lucas answered. "Give or take, as parents also have the option of sending their children to Magical schools abroad."

"Twenty attended this September, Mr Weatherley." Constantine said. "Out of sixty four." She smiled. "Good day." And she was gone.

She was good, Lucas thought wryly, sitting back down. She'd played and manipulated their entire meeting very well. And the parting comment was perfect: enough to intrigue him, not enough that he could think about it without having to investigate further. He sighed, and started pulling out files.

He might find himself at dinner with the Malfoys after all.

&

"So is he coming?" Ginny was sitting on Constantine's bed, watching the older woman get ready for dinner at the Manor.

"I think so." Constantine said. "If only to find out what I know about Hogwarts attendance."

"It was dangerous, saying that." Ginny observed. "What if someone had heard?"

"I warded the room before I went in." Constantine said, turning to face Ginny. "No one heard."

"So what do you think? Is it doable?" Constantine nodded, pulling on a pair of heeled ankleboots.

"Yes. He's not bad looking and once he got over the shock of me being in his office, he grew a backbone and turned me down."

"That's not good." Ginny mused.

"A potential problem in that he won't be a puppet, and he won't do as he's told without a good reason, but then, we have a good reason." Constantine said. "And it'll make it easier for him to deal with anything that happens when we're not there to help him. There's going to be a point when Harry seeks him out, especially once we really get the ball rolling. Lucas is going to have to be able to stand up to that."

"That's a good point." Ginny hesitated. "The Yule Ball is coming up." Constantine nodded, her eyes flicking to Ginny and then away again.

The Yule Ball was Ministry hosted, and was one of the biggest events of the year. It was the best way to bring Lucas into society, because it was a few weeks away so he could learn what he needed to before hand, plus they could work out a suitable escort for him. It would also show people like the Parkinsons and the Zabinis that Constantine and Amadeo and Daniel were serious about bringing in another politician to replace Harry, which would sediment their support. After the Yule Ball there would be no turning back.

It was also an event Harry would be attending, hence Ginny's nervousness. So far she had managed to avoid him…as a rule he didn't attend private parties unless it was for a cause he wanted to help. That meant that they hadn't met since Ginny had returned to England from Africa with Constantine. And no matter what Ginny said, Constantine knew that Harry's behaviour immediately prior to Ginny's arrival in Africa had seriously shaken her up.

"Amadeo will escort you." Constantine said, standing and pulling on her coat. "Harry won't try anything when you're with a Malfoy."

"Convenient, huh?" Ginny asked drily, rising also and picking up her bag. She'd been ready for nearly twenty minutes before Constantine. Constantine shrugged.

"Convenient. But it also helps that you two are fond of each other." She walked out of the bedroom, Ginny on her heels.

"We are not!" She argued. "He's a Malfoy, for Merlin's sake. And that pretty much says it all."

"Hermione fell for a Malfoy, and fell hard, too." Constantine commented. "They aren't monsters, Ginny. They're extrememly wealthy, stuck up, arrogant men. And they're also extremely protective. If Harry tried something with you, Amadeo would be there in a second." She smiled at Ginny. "If seeing him as an escort is still a stretch for you, see him as a bodyguard. There isn't anyone safer for you right now than Amadeo Malfoy."

"That is a terrifying thought." Ginny commented darkly. Constantine laughed, and the sound was abruptly cut short as the two women apparated away.

They appeared in the foyer of the Manor, and were greeted by Daniel.

"Is he coming?" Daniel asked. Constantine shrugged.

"Should be. I can't imagine him not, in all fairness. Dinner doesn't seal his soul into this."

"It should." He commented. "If he doesn't agree, he could tell anyone."

"He won't." Constantine replied easily. "Where's Amadeo?"

"Study, why?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

"I want to have sex with him and bear his children." Constantine rolled her eyes. "I want to talk to him, Daniel. Now stop being such a green-eyed monster." She brushed past him and headed for the study.

"What was that about?" Daniel asked Ginny. It was her turn to roll her eyes.

"Every time she mentions another man's name you turn into a jealous pig, Daniel. You don't own her, and I don't think you'd like to try. Relax." Daniel frowned.

"I am not." He argued.

"Yes you are." Ginny replied easily. "She mentioned Amadeo just now and you got suspicious. When we were talking about Lucas you made that comment about cradle-snatching. And I know you've been bitching about Tom behind her back. She isn't involved with anyone, Daniel, and it's about time that you dropped the jealousy thing long enough to see that, before you piss her off again."

"What's she going to do, leave again?" Draco asked bitterly.

"Quite possibly." Ginny retorted. "Africa isn't her only Project you know. She's got them in Asia and India as well."

"India is part of Asia, actually." Daniel said snidely. Ginny smiled tightly.

"Well done. She's got a job to do, Daniel. And you know her, she isn't going to stop for anything until it's done, despite the casualties. Don't make yourself one of them." Ginny headed for the study as well, leaving Daniel alone to swallow his pride and follow her.

"I want you two on your best behaviour." Constantine lectured to Daniel and Amadeo. They shared a glance. "I'm being serious. I know you can be charming when you want to be, and I want you to be so charming in fact that Lucas doubts everything he's ever heard about the Malfoys. So your grandfather killed his…you two would never even conceive of doing such a thing. As for being supremist, his sources must have the wrong Malfoys. That's what I want going through his head."

"We're good." Amadeo said. "But I don't think even God is that good." Constantine smiled.

"Try." She said. "It's important that he feels comfortable. From what I saw the other day, he's perfect for this. Don't frighten him off."

"Master? Mr Weatherley is here." Amadeo nodded.

"Show him in."

Lucas was nervous. He wasn't sure if his clothes were right or if he wouldn't make some huge faux pas that would have Constantine and her friends sniggering at him behind their manicured hands. Still, he'd found her information accurate regarding Hogwarts and he was interested. Forty-four students wasn't a slip in the system, it was a giant error. He wanted to know what she knew and what she was planning on doing about it.

"Lucas." Constantine smiled and rose when he walked into the room. "I'm glad you came." Lucas nodded and introduced himself to the cool-looking man who was blatantly the only Malfoy.

"Lucas Weatherley." He smiled. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Amadeo." Amadeo smiled. "And of course. Though I must say it was Constantine's idea…we are all slaves to her will." He smiled and Lucas found himself smiling back.

Perhaps this wouldn't be the nightmare he was envisaging.

"This is Daniel Masters." Amadeo continued. Daniel stood and they shook hands and smiled and exchanged pleasantries…Daniel didn't quite have the same charm as Amadeo. "And Ginny Weasley." Lucas was surprised to see her here, last he heard she was the Minister's fiancee and had gone on a goodwill trip before the weddings, he hadn't known she was back.

"We've met." Ginny smiled. "It's good to see you again, Lucas."

"I wasn't aware you were back." Lucas said. Her eyebrows rose.

"From where?"

"Your goodwill trip, before the wedding." Lucas clarified. Ginny nodded with a smile.

"Oh, sorry." She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I've been back a few days now." She lied. There was a quiet pause.

"Master? Dinner is ready." A house elf appeared in the doorway.

"Thank you." Amadeo said. "Shall we?" Everyone nodded, and Constantine smiled at Lucas as they filed into the dining room.

"You're doing fine." She murmured. He shot her a look and she smiled, but said nothing more.

Dinner passed quietly, full of small talk about what was going on politically and otherwise. It gave all four a chance to evaluate each other: three could see Lucas' views and how he reacted to certain probes, and Lucas could form mental profiles of each aristocrat in his mind. It wasn't what he had imagined, that was for sure. Amadeo Malfoy, who had a reputation of being socially recluse (though that ended when Draco disappeared), was far from the icy, disdainful man he was rumoured to be. He was charming and funny and interesting, and clearly was fond of Ginny. The redhead had lied about her goodwill trip, Lucas had guessed instantly. Or the Minister had. She wasn't wearing an engagement ring, and her eyes slipped occasionally to Amadeo when she thought no one was looking. She expressed political views (a no-no for the Minister's wife; the tradition was that such women were neutral, allowing them to follow their husband's views easier), and she was eating dinner with Malfoys, a dead giveaway. Then there was Daniel, who clearly was irritated about something, though he kept it well hidden. He obviously hadn't gotten over his attachment to Constantine since they split, there was a edge to some of his comments that earned him a cool stare from her. He actually reminded Lucas a little of what he had heard about Malfoys…he definitely had an aristocratic attitude, tempered somewhat, but there all the same. Constantine herself was beautiful, lovely and charming. She kept the conversation going and continually included Lucas subtley so he wasn't abandoned, and he used her to judge whether his comments were appropriate or not. He was so busy concentrating on getting this right and working out what 'this' was in the first place that he had little appetite, but eventually dinner was over and they all retired to the study, and Lucas had a sinking feeling that the bigger hurdles were yet to come.

He was surprised though. The formality that had tinged dinner seemed to disappate entirely in the study, and everything suddenly became much more relaxed. It was only then that he worked up the courage to ask why he was actually there. All conversations stopped, and Lucas had a horrible feeling that he had just messed up in a big way. But Amadeo smiled, and Lucas relaxed a little.

"Actually, we wanted to talk to you. Somewhere where we knew we wouldn't be overheard." Lucas' alarm bells started ringing. Things that shouldn't be overheard usually shouldn't be done, as far as he knew.

"Oh?" He asked as neutrally as possible. Constantine smiled.

"I assume you looked up the Hogwarts attendance numbers?" She asked, coming to sit beside him on the sofa. He nodded.

"It's worrying."

"It is." Ginny moved to sit on the armchair across from them, and Daniel and Amadeo took the last two chairs. "It reminds me of my fourth year: a lot of students didn't come back that year."

"The year Voldemort returned." Lucas guessed. She nodded. "But Voldemort's dead. There isn't a threat."

"Isn't there?" Daniel asked quietly. He was relaxed in the chair, legs stretched out in front of him. He had a sharp look in his eyes that reminded Lucas of a hawk: keen, focused and very aware.

"You think there is a threat?" Lucas asked. "What?"

"Harry." Ginny said. Lucas jerked around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.

"What?"

"The children who didn't attend belong to families that have a high profile rating to Harry." Ginny explained. "A few managed to go to schools abroad, Beauxbatons, the American Academy, places like that. Others are being privately tutored."

"That's against the law, though." Lucas said. "All eleven year olds, pending situations which deny them access, must attend a magical educational establishment. They have to."

"We kind of think that's the point." Constantine said gently. "A lot of the families are ones that Harry suspects…of treason, cheating, embezzlement, supporting the Dark Arts, even of being deatheaters."

"You think the Minister's denying their children access to Hogwarts in order to force them to commit an illegal act?" Lucas asked, skeptical. "He wouldn't."

"I think he has, Lucas." Ginny said softly. "He's…he's not the man who came to power."

"Are they ever?" Lucas asked insightfully. "Say that is what's happening. What are you planning on doing about it? And…why do you care?" Constantine smiled, pleased. He was asking all the right questions.

"We care because…" Amadeo paused. "Constantine cares." He finally answered simply. "She has that way. It's Ginny's old school, and I find it worrying that there are forty-four untrained brats running around with wands and no training. Daniel doesn't care."

"That's not true!" Daniel exclaimed. Lucas looked at him and he sighed. "I care mostly because Constantine cares and because Amadeo has a point. Plus…anyone planning on causing real trouble can take these kids and turn them into killers without any thought to training them properly."

"So why do you care?" Lucas addressed Constantine. She bit her lip thoughtfully.

"I'm trying…I'm trying to make the world a better place." She said, and somehow, the cliché didn't sound too cheesy. "I have a lot of power, a fair amount of money, and more publicity than I could want. Plus I have the inclination."

"I know about your Projects." Lucas said, nodding. "You've done a lot of good work."

"Unfortunately, it seems I've done too well. My people in Africa are now so well trained I only get in the way. I have a similar problem in Asia, although the houses in some of the smaller countries are always needing an extra hand. So I thought I'd start something here…only it seems to have spiralled…I wasn't expecting there to be forty-four unaccounted for children that usually wouldn't end up with me. I tend to take the homeless ones, the ones in trouble with drugs or alcohol, not those willing but unable thanks to the Ministry. If I want to solve one problem I need to solve the other. Hence my interest."

It was a convincing argument. Lucas had heard much worse arguments hold up at the Ministry. But they hadn't completely answered his question yet. He opened his mouth to ask and Daniel cut him off.

"We want your help." He said. Lucas stared, and Daniel took a deep breath and exhaled. "We feel," he began, "Like perhaps the Minister is getting out of control. He seems indecisive, some of his decisions aren't that good anyway, and this business with the children is just plain wrong. If he wants a reason to imprison their parents he can damn well get his hands dirty and investigate instead of manipulating them into prison and their children out of an education." Lucas was surprised by Daniel's outburst, and his respect for him grew. He was easier to read than Amadeo, and seemed more likely to speak the truth without sugarcoating it.

"So you want me to what? I'm a nobody at the Ministry, you must know that." Lucas pointed out.

"This is where our fair ladies come in." Amadeo said with a smile. "With their help, we can give you the kind of social foundations you need to climb the ladder without having backstab anyone."

"What do you get out of it?" Lucas asked suspiciously. This didn't sit right.

"Potter's departure." Daniel said. He paused, looking at the younger man. Lucas clearly wasn't buying it, and Daniel decided to go all in. Constantine would kill him for it later, he was sure. "Think of it this way," he began. "We want him gone. Constantine because she can't stand to see someone with that much power not helping kittens out of trees, me because I don't like him, Amadeo for much the same reason and Ginny because he cheated on her, he lied to her, and then he nearly killed her. We want him gone and we're using you as a pawn."

"Daniel." Constantine ground out. He ignored her.

"Lucas, we need you. In return you're going to get the social status you'd never have otherwise, without having to lose your precious morals. We get him gone, everyone's happy."

"Who'd replace him?" Lucas asked. They looked at him. "Oh no." He shook his head. "Not me."

"Why not?" Constantine asked, annoyed Daniel had dropped it on Lucas' head like that. "I've read your work, you're talented. You've got strong morals, and you don't strike me as the corruptible type. And you don't rule by yourself, you know. You have a council to help. Harry rules autonomously out of choice, not necessity."

"I can't do it." Lucas shook his head.

"You've never tried." She returned. That silenced him, he didn't have an answer for that.

"I'll think about it." He conceded. "But…was there something else? You've said this is about Hogwarts, but it's not. What else is it about?" They exchanged glances, unsure of whether to tell him. "I want the truth." He warned them. "I'm not going to get into this coup with my hands behind my back. I want to know what's going on."

"It's my other crusade." Constantine answered finally. "You know about the Granger case?" Lucas nodded, who didn't? "Well, I don't believe she committed treason. She wasn't the type, and Harry was her best friend."

"How do you know?"

"I met her, a couple times, before. And Ginny knew her personally." Ginny nodded. "I…here." She passed a plain manilla folder across to Lucas and he looked at it. "It's a file on her. Harry's file."

"You stole it?" He asked, aghast.

"I replicated it." She answered. "Just read it." They sat in silence as Lucas quickly skimmed over it. It did seem unlikely…Hermione Granger, first in every class she ever took, hero of the Dark Wars, saviour of the people. Known for selflessness when trying to save others, and there were more than a few academic distinctions as well. From the sound of it, Granger was smart, talented, and possibly the farthest thing from her mind would be treason. And then he saw the tape.

"What's this?" He held it up.

"It's a recording of a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. The transcript is behind it." Lucas nodded and skimmed the transcript, unsure as to whether to believe what he was reading or not. If this was true, then it seemed that the Minister was somewhat less rational than he would have people believe. The only evidence of treason here was a prophecy, which means he wanted her arrested for something that likely as not hadn't happened yet. He turned the page and found the assassination order.

"He wanted her assassinated?" Lucas exclaimed. "Bit much, isn't it?"

"Like we said, we're not so sure he's…it's not right." Ginny finished lamely, unable to think of the right word.

"So she's dead?"

"She's missing." Constantine corrected. "As is Draco Malfoy."

"I thought that was a different case." Lucas said, confused. Amadeo shook his head.

"Draco is charged with aiding a traitor. He hid her, for a while, until he was found out. When the Ministry searched all his properties for her they found she was gone too."

"So they're together." Lucas concluded. Constantine shrugged.

"Nobody knows. But…it's something I'd like rectified."

"Granger's talented. If anyone can fix this crazy mess, she can." Daniel commented.

"You knew her?" Lucas asked, glancing up.

"Before. We worked together briefly."

"You keep saying 'before'." Lucas said, closing the file and looking at them. "Are you saying that because it's true or because to not say it would to imply yourselves for treason?"

"We knew her before she was accused." Ginny said. "And we haven't seen her since." Lucas nodded, settling for her answer because he knew he wouldn't get anything else out of them.

"So that's why you want me…because you want to send the missing kids to Hogwarts and get a pardon for Granger and Malfoy." He nodded. "Which ends in me being Minister…how?"

"We need someone." Amadeo said. "We can't try to depose Potter alone, because there'd be no support for a private bid for power."

"And you're saying there's support?"

"You know as well as we do that there are plenty of rich, influential people who will support anyone who will support them." Amadeo replied. "Yes, there is. For you, if you choose to take it. But it is, of course, your choice. It's not something to sign up for without thought."

"No." Lucas agreed.

"Go home, think about it." Amadeo continued. "If you decide that you want to do this, want to help us, then come back. If you decide not to, then we won't try to involve you again, though we will ask that you don't speak about this." Lucas nodded, that all made sense.

"You know," he said thoughtfully. "You're nothing like what I expected."

Daniel snorted.

&


	9. Chapter 9

Another update…I'm just too nice to you people. We're coming close to the end now, this is the Yule Ball and Lucas' tentative exploration of society. With Miss Carina by his side, of course. Lol.

Enjoy, Istalindar

&

Carina Goyle had yet to make it big in society. Of course she was invited to all the best parties, wore the best clothes, had some of the best connections on the floor. Thing was, she was invited because of her name, wore the clothes because she had the money, and as for connections…well, Constantine DeVere was one of the best connections a girl could have.

But it meant nothing until she was involved. Behind every closed door and drawn curtain there was a secret, a plan, an intrigue involving power plays in their society. Carina knew this, but so far she wasn't part of it. And it wasn't until she was a part of it, that she would actually be an unmovable part of the social scene: if she disappeared now no one would notice. If she were a part of something…that would be different.

And in a room full of beautiful, rich, well connected women, being different for a good reason was more important than having a ring on your hand, no matter what Pansy Parkinson said.

Which is why, when Constantine pulled Carina aside and asked her to do a personal favour for her, Carina barely hesitated. When Constantine explained said favour, Carina crossed her fingers, hoped he was cute, and agreed. She was rewarded by one of Constantine's blinding smiles, and she hoped that she was in. Constantine never did anything by halves, so if she was bringing this socially inept politician into the fold, she had a damn good reason, especially if she was doing it at the Yule Ball, where everyone would see them, and know that Constantine was responsible. And now Carina was part of that.

She hadn't been this excited since her first debutante appearance.

She'd been invited to get ready at Constantine's flat, like they were actually friends, and Carina had agreed in a flash. Her admiration for the older woman was quickly growing to adoration, but she was covering it well. If she wanted Constantine to continue to sponsor her forays into the rather backhanded, vicious world of socialite intrigue, she had to prove that she could do this.

"Can I ask you a question?" Carina asked. Constantine glanced at her in the mirror from where she was picking through a jewelery box full of expensive items.

"Of course."

"Why Lucas?" Constantine turned slowly to look at her, and Carina was afraid she'd overstepped herself.

"How do you mean?" Constantine asked carefully.

"I'm honoured that you wanted me to be his escort…but why him in particular? Why not that slightly awkward man who works in Relations?" Constantine raised an eyebrow. "I did some research. I was curious, I hope you don't mind."

"I don't." Constantine said. "Actually, I'm rather pleased. You're very meek, sometimes, Carina. Makes it hard to work out sometimes whether you can stand up to the games we play."

"I can." Carina said confidently. Constantine nodded, her hands rising to her ear to attach an emerald earring.

"I believe that. And I'm glad you looked him up, it shows both initiative and a lack of trust."

"I trust you!" Carina flared instantly. Constantine didn't smile.

"You shouldn't. Everyone has secrets, Carina, even me. And in our world, in our society, if you trust too much, someone might tear you apart. Keep your secrets close, Carina, and your trust closer."

"That's a dim view."

"It's a safe one though." Constantine observed. Carina regarded her closely.

"What's wrong?" She asked. "You don't seem…"

"Excited? I'm not, really. I've done this before a thousand times." Constantine shook her head. "It's fun, when you start, but I've been doing this too long, I think. Might retire somewhere. Asia, perhaps."

"Your Projects there." Carina said, understanding. "You'll be missed."

"By sweet beautiful girls like you?" Constantine smiled. "No. When you get into this game, you'll understand more. Speaking of the game, was there something you wanted to ask about Lucas?"

"Why him? What is it about him that interests you?" Constantine smiled.

"You've seen our politicians. They are liars, and posturers. They care for their own purse. Lucas is different. And I think with the right base to work from, he could be very successful."

"Is he pureblood?" Carina asked. Constantine narrowed her eyes and looked at her thoughtfully.

"He is. Though it shouldn't matter." Carina shook her head, mentally slapping herself up the head. What a stupid thing to say!

"Of course. It's kind of drummed into me." She tried to edge her voice with apology, without overdoing it. Subtlety was everything.

"A pureblood husband for a pureblood bride. I've heard it myself. He has the potential to do great good for our world, Carina. But I need you to help him. And you never know, he might do great things for you too. But in the meantime, I'm asking you to do this as a favour to me."

"Of course, and I'm happy to." Carina smiled. Constantine returned the gesture and picked up her cloak.

"Good. Shall we?" Carina nodded and the pair apparated to the Manor.

Ginny was already there, sipping wine as she waited for them. She was wearing gold, a skintight glittering sheath that fell to the floor and set her hair aflame. She smiled at them when they appeared.

"You're late." She commented. "The boys are waiting for you." Constantine and Carina shed their cloaks, the garments vanishing before they hit the ground. Ginny smiled. "Beautiful. Though I will assume the dresses are for them." She nodded and turned to lead the way, Constantine and Carina behind.

The men were discussing the lateness of women, with the exception of the positively radiant Miss Weasley, when the door opened and their missing escorts appeared. The room was silenced, and Carina and Constantine counted themselves on a job well done.

"Wow." Lucas managed eventually. Carina laughed, stepping forward. The blue silk of her empire-line gown whispered on the carpet as she moved.

"I'm Carina."

"Lucas." He took her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm honoured." He sounded it too. Not to be outdone, Daniel stood and stepped forward to where Constantine stood, dressed in a forest green halterneck silk dress.

"You see, Daniel?" She commented, glancing at him. "That is how a man should greet a woman. With awe." Daniel smiled and kissed her cheek, taking her hands.

"I'm always in awe, pretty girl." He whispered. Constantine shivered despite himself and she felt the huff of laughter on her cheek and stepped back.

"You think you're so talented." She said with a smirk, crossing her arms. The movement raised her bust and Daniel's eyes were drawn automatically. "And by the way, my face is above my shoulders." His gaze rose instantly to meet her laughing eyes and he glared.

"When everyone is finished admiring themselves." Amadeo said cooly. The two pairs looked at him, with Ginny standing regally by his side, they made an inspiring pair. "We might leave. We're late as it is."

"Arriving early indicates eagerness." Constantine drawled. "And as we're deigning to grace this party, we shouldn't look too grateful for an invite." Carina smiled and took Lucas' arm.

"I'd like to apologise now for anything I accidentally say or do to embarrass myself and you." Lucas murmured in her ear. "This isn't my usual social scene."

"I'll watch over you." She replied, squeezing his arm gently. "Just follow my lead."

"Ready?" Daniel looked around, and saw everyone waiting. "Let's go."

&

The three couples stood behind the doors, waiting to be announced. Carina was quietly explaining the formalities of the whole affair to Lucas, who thought it was ridiculous.

"Lord Malfoy and Ginny will introduced first, because he's got a title." She murmured. "Then Constantine and Daniel, then us. We're last because we're unknowns."

"But you've done this before." Lucas argued quietly.

"But I'm not married. I'm still a dependent so until I do something really fascinating, such as arrive on the arm of a complete stranger, no one even remembers my name."

"Shame." Lucas smiled. "It's a rather pretty name. So that's whats in this for you, recognition?"

"Mostly. Plus, it's a bit of a scandal, which is fun. And Constantine asked me too."

"So her word goes?" Lucas was already finding that all of Constantine's friends, and even people like himself who barely knew her, bowed to her wishes eventually. She was graceful about it, and never seemed to actively coerce people. Whatever game it was that socialites played, she played it extremely well.

"She's been very good to me."

"Surely you shouldn't need her though." Lucas was confused. "You have name, status, money…"

"A name isn't everything. To really make it, you have to be special. That room is going to be full of beautiful, rich, named women. To stand out you have to be something. You'll recognise instantly the girls that don't understand that."

"Will I?"

"They're vapid attention seekers. Believe me, you will. Hush."

"Carina Goyle and escort, Lucas Weatherley." The man at the doors said. They stepped regally through the doors and descended the stairs, and Lucas instantly spotted the ones she was talking about.

"Wow, you weren't kidding." He murmured. She smiled vacantly and giggled. "Don't turn into an airhead on me, Carina." He warned. She glanced at him, and while the bubble-brained expression on her face made him want to slap her, the look in her eyes spoke of something much cleverer.

"Shush, I'm working." She hissed. She continued to smile and nod, and greet, and Lucas realised he already wanted this to be over.

"Well, that was interesting." Constantine said with a wicked smile, sipping her champagne.

"He turned green." Amadeo said. "I always thought that was a figure of speech, but he actually did it."

"I was quite surprised, actually." Ginny glared at Daniel, who smiled at her. "Not that he was jealous of Amadeo, Ginny. We have already established that I believe you are the most radiant woman in this room, and I would be deeply disturbed if Potter was not jealous, thought it would confirm my old theory that he is, in fact, gay, but I was surprised that he showed it. He's meant to be a politician."

"Here comes Carina and Lucas." Ginny said, noting the pair moving over and changing the subject. "He's doing rather well, don't you think?"

Daniel finally caved to the death glares coming from the elegant woman on his arm, and he smiled, tilting his head towards her.

"Jealous, pet?"

"Of you? Never." She snapped, her teeth perilously close to his throat. It looked like a lovers murmur, but Daniel was well aware she wasn't in the romantic mood: her nails digging into his arm confirmed that.

"Relax, pretty girl." He said softly. "You'll forgive me, she'll eviscerate me in my sleep."

"And I won't?" Constantine demanded, Daniel shook his head.

"Oh, you will. But we'll have sex first and I'd rather go out with a smile." Constantine glared and he smiled, kissing her temple. "Smile, pretty girl."

"Sometimes, I despise you." She bit out. Daniel nodded.

"Heads up." He replied. She frowned. "Weasley's come to see his sister." Constantine pulled away immediately, but saw that Ginny had already seen. The girl's hand tightened slightly on Amadeo's arm and he pulled her that little bit closer. Constantine relaxed, she knew Amadeo could and would take care of her.

"Ginny!" Ron grinned as he approached. He saw her company and frowned, but it made him pause, not stop. "Where have you been?"

"Around." She shrugged. "Ron, this is Carina and Lucas." He smiled at them but his eyes were on his young sister.

"Nice to meet you. Where have you been?" He hissed, taking her arm. She pulled away immediately. "Gin, you're marrying him in three weeks. We've been going frantic looking for you."

"I'm not marrying him." Ginny said quietly. "No matter what he has said. I wasn't on a goodwill trip, Ron. I left because he destroyed my home and threatened me. I've only been back a short while."

"What?" Ron asked, unable to believe his friend would do such a thing. "Gin, you must have misunderstood."

"There wasn't much to misunderstand." Constantine said softly.

"This isn't your business." Ron snapped.

"She came to me." Constantine said. "After. She came out to Africa to me, because England wasn't safe."

"I can't live like that." Ginny said. "And I certainly won't marry it."

"Gin, come on."

"No Ron." Gin stepped back slightly, into Amadeo. Ron got the message.

"You're with him now? A Malfoy?"

"Enough." Constantine stepped forward, one hand on Ron's chest. "She is your sister, Ron." She said quietly. "You must support her in her actions, she is staying true to herself."

"I suppose this was your idea? You never liked Harry."

"What gave you that impression?" Constantine asked softly. "I've never had opportunity to either like nor dislike him. However, any man who sends a woman fleeing from the country must answer certain questions."

"He didn't."

"He did." Constantine replied. "But this is neither the time nor the place to discuss this." Ron looked around and saw everyone watching, plus quite a few people were looking across the party at them.

"No." He agreed, and Constantine thanked the tact he'd recently gained. "I want an explanation, Ginny, later."

"Ask Harry." Ginny replied, "And then you can tell me what he has to say for himself." Ron stood, dumbstruck at her tone, until he collected himself and walked off. Ginny exhaled loudly.

"That was awkward."

"It was always going to be." Constantine commented. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Ginny said. "He won't try anything when I'm with you, and I'm with you pretty much constantly." Constantine nodded.

"Good. In that case, Daniel, I wish to dance." Daniel rolled his eyes but obligingly led her out onto the dance floor, leaving the others behind.

"You think she's okay?" Daniel asked as he led her around the dancefloor.

"Amadeo will look after her." Constantine said confidently. "What do you think of Lucas?"

"Carina has him under her well-manicured thumb, he'll be fine." Daniel nodded and Constantine smiled, relaxing into the dance. Daniel was an excellent partner, all she had to do was let him lead and her part of the dance was over. "How are you doing?"

His question surprised her and she looked at him with a frown. Those familiar eyes, the wrong colour but yet so full of the same expressions that had filled Draco's eyes, were looking down at her, studying her face. She smiled.

"How do you mean?" She asked. "I'm fine."

"You've been very busy recently." He murmured. "And we're coming to the crux of things."

"We're not there yet. We've got quite a lot of work to do yet." She said with a smile. "Don't be in such a hurry."

"I want to go back to before." Daniel said. Constantine knew instantly what he meant, and she met his gaze.

"We can't, Daniel." She replied gently. "Neither of us are that person anymore." He smiled wistfully, and bowed slightly as the dance ended. Constantine smiled and turned to scan the room for their friends. She spotted Carina and Lucas by the buffet, talking to Carina's brother Gregory and a few of the Slytherin crowd from when Hermione had attended Hogwarts, and after a moment decided that Lucas was in good hands. It seemed that pairing those two together was a success, both looked quite fond of the other already. Constantine's gaze moved on, searching for Ginny's red hair, emphasized by the gold of her dress, and finally spotted her by the drinks table. She was alone, with Amadeo nowhere is sight.

"Where's Amadeo?" Constantine asked softly, taking Daniel's hand and leading him towards the drinks table.

"Probably off somewhere discussing our new friend." Daniel replied, his gaze landing on Ginny. "Though perhaps he shouldn't have left her alone."

"That's what I'm worried about." Constantine picked up her pace slightly, but not so much that she would be seen as hurrying. Either way, she was still waylaid by several people wanting to say hello and compliment her dress.

"Potter's heading her way." Daniel murmured in Constantine's ear as she smiled and made small talk with one of the Ministry wives.

"Excuse me." Constantine smiled and moved away, Daniel on her tail, but they didn't quite make it on time.

"Ginny, can I speak with you?" Harry asked. "Privately?" Ginny was pale, and the champagne in her glass was rippling ever so slightly.

"Ginny, I love your dress." Constantine smiled as she approached, Daniel on her heels. Harry turned to look at her, deeply annoyed. Ginny smiled, relief edging it.

"Thank you." Ginny smiled, and the champagne in her glass calmed a little.

"Harry." Daniel smiled. "Enjoying the party?"

"Mm." Harry didn't really answer, his gaze raking over Constantine. Daniel restrained the urge to smack him. "Constantine, you look well."

"Thank you, I am." Constantine smiled cooly, an edge to her voice. "And you?"

"Just speaking to Ginny." Harry shrugged. "Could you give us a few moments?"

"Sorry, but I've just seen an old friend that Ginny simply must meet." Constantine smiled, taking Ginny's hand and pulling her gently. "Another time." Constantine swept off, Ginny in her wake.

"I hate it when she does that." Harry commented. Daniel smiled.

"What, steal your conversation out from under your nose or treat you like dirt?" Harry narrowed his eyes at him and Daniel shook his head. "You're not the only one. Constantine…can be very difficult."

"You're with her again, I see." Harry said pointedly. Daniel rolled his eyes.

"She may as well as ordered me to escort her." Daniel shrugged. "And you know Constantine, she always gets what she wants in the end."

"You don't look like you're taking it badly." Harry said flatly. Daniel raised his eyebrows.

"She's Constantine DeVere, Harry. Having her on my arm says a lot for me. And while you're Minister, some of us actually have to work for our living." Harry nodded.

"How is the architecture, anyway?"

"I'm taking a sabbatical." Daniel said with a grin. Harry laughed.

&

Daniel looked down at Constantine, who was slumped, fast asleep, against him in the carriage. Amadeo and Ginny sat across from him, Ginny resting her head on Amadeo's shoulder. Daniel looked up to see the pair watching him.

"The party went well." He commented. Amadeo nodded.

"Lucas was quite successful. And Carina was an ideal escort." Amadeo agreed.

"Harry tried to talk to me though." Ginny complained quietly.

"You don't need to worry about him." Amadeo said softly. She nodded and Draco hid a small smile by burying his face in Constantine's hair. A few minutes later, the carriage came to a stop outside the Manor. Ginny and Amadeo alighted first, and Daniel carefully gathered Constantine up in his arms before stepping out of the vehicle and following them into the house. With a quiet goodnight he left them downstairs and began climbing the flights of stairs to her room. She muttered in her sleep and turned her face into his chest, one hand resting against it beside her face. He smiled down at her, nudging the door open with his hip. He laid her gently on the bed, staring down at her for a second. Constantine was a striking woman, it was true. But when she was asleep you could see more of Hermione in her, and that was who Draco prefered. Daniel smiled, using magic to change both their clothes into nightware, before climbing into bed behind her, just for a moment.

But he fell asleep.

&


	10. Chapter 10

The best part about writing is that I know what's going to happen and you don't. Slightly sadistic, I know, but if you enjoy this stuff why shouldn't I?

Speaking of which, enjoy.

Istalindar

&

Constantine woke with a start in the middle of the night, confused and with a desperate urge to pee. Last she remembered she'd been in the carriage on the way home from the Yule Ball, just having dropped off Lucas and Carina. She must've fallen asleep.

Well that explained where she was. Now her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she recognised her room. There was the customary pang of sadness as always when she saw it: she missed the times she'd been here, hiding from Harry and Ron. She missed Draco.

Speaking of which…there was no doubt in her mind who the man behind her was. If absolutely nothing else, Daniel would have killed any man who tried anything with his bare hands. Sweet, and quite chivalrous. But quite inconvenient. A man's inevitable attraction for a woman was one of the fairer gender's greatest weapons, and it didn't help if the man she was using the weapon against was already mauled by the man who had felt the edge of said weapon and didn't care. She sighed, her bladder signalling again that a toilet run was both inevitable and immediate. She gently untangled herself from Daniel's arms, slipping from the bed and to the toilet as he sighed and turned in his sleep.

When she returned he was still asleep and she stood watching him for a moment. The moonlight played over him as the curtains shifted slightly with a barely-there breeze.

"Are you going to come back to bed or are you just going to stare at me?" He asked softly, without even opening his eyes. Constantine wasn't all that surprised he was awake…as Draco her slightest movement in bed could wake him. She smiled and moved back to the warm bed, slipping beneath the covers and letting him pull her against him, wrapping her in the heat of his body. She smiled and closed her eyes.

"I want you back." He whispered into the silence. She shifted against him and rested her hand on his shoulder.

"I never left." She replied gently, breathing deeply.

"Africa."

She didn't have an answer to that, so she rested her head against his shoulder, pulling the covers higher to their chins, and let herself relax.

"Please don't leave me again." He continued.

"I wasn't lost." She replied. "Just angry."

"I love you. And I missed you and didn't want to be miles away thinking of you when I could be here beside you." She smiled and swallowed against the tears she felt rising.

"I wish you had told me. I felt guilty, because I felt for Daniel without wanting to…I missed you and looked for you everywhere, but Daniel…you can't ever stop being you, no matter what you look like."

"I didn't want you to send me away." He said, stroking his fingers up and down her sides beneath the covers. "Every moment I was with you I wanted to tell you, because I knew you felt torn." Constantine opened her eyes and looked up. He smiled down at her, his eyes pools of black in his shadowed face. "I could see it in your eyes, and how sometimes you used to lie awake and watch me asleep."

"I should have known you were awake." She muttered, closing her eyes again.

"If I'd been Draco you would have." He replied. He kissed her shoulder. "Can I ask you something?"

"Something else?" She asked drowsily. She was nearly asleep, and his voice kept pulling her back from the abyss. He smirked.

"You and Tom. Tom in Africa."

"He liked me." She agreed. Daniel rolled his eyes.

"And?"

"Nothin'."

"Nothing happened?" He asked. She shook her head and grumbled under her breath, snuggling closer to him. He winced, there were few ways she could have done a better job of making him feel like she was trying to crawl into him.

"No. Tired." She complained. He waited a minute.

"Constantine?" No answer. "Hermione?"

Nothing. She was asleep. He sighed and resigned himself to the same.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke.

Poke poke.

Poke.

Poke poke poke.

"The world better be ending, you know." Daniel muttered. Constantine glared and poked him again. He sighed and rolled over. She poked harder. "Constantine, what? If you want coffee go get some."

"I know what you did when I was trying to sleep." She said darkly. He rolled back over to face her and opened his eyes. She looked glorious in the morning, especially this morning when her eyes were burning with indignation and her hair was free over her shoulders. He couldn't help it: he smiled.

"It isn't funny."

"You're beautiful." He said, raising the hand that had been poking him and bringing it to his lips. She snatched it back and glared.

"Never mind that! I know what you did last night."

"And what was that, my lotus blossom?" He asked around a yawn. Her green eyes burned brighter, and there was a pink flush rising along her cheeks. He was infuriating her, and he knew it. But she was so much damn fun to annoy, and was so bloody stunning when he managed it that he felt it was worth the risk of bodily harm.

"You…ooh!" She narrowed her eyes and huffed, spinning and sliding off the bed. He grabbed her wrist and jerked her back to him, which resulted in her lying half across him. "Daniel!"

"You're mad because I asked about Tom when you were nearly asleep." Daniel stretched, and Constantine pointedly ignored the play of his muscles against her. Typical Draco to take a form that was as buff as he'd like to be (and was, in all fairness, but one should never encourage a Malfoy ego).

"Yes." She practically spat.

"I didn't want an argument." He said calmly. "I didn't want you to get defensive. I wasn't accusing you, I was just asking."

"Why?"

"Why what?" He asked, meeting her gaze with his.

"Why would you bother asking? Even if Tom and I did have a fling, what does it matter to you?" She raised an eyebrow. "I'm not property, Daniel. I'm not _yours_."

"Now, that's unfair." He remarked. She looked surprised at his response.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"It's not fair. I'm yours, but you aren't mine?" Constantine shook her head.

"I don't own you, Daniel. I don't control your actions and I wouldn't want to."

"It would take a lot of the surprise out of the sex." He agreed. She sighed, irritated.

"I don't…it makes me feel trapped. Like a bird in a cage." She tried to explain what made her object so to the concept of being 'owned'.

"But the cage door is open." He replied, stroking one finger down the side of her face and pushing a tendril of hair out of her eyes. "You aren't trapped." She hesitated.

"You say that. But if I even look at another man you seem like you're ready to rip his arm off and beat him with it."

"I am." He said simply.

"Precisely." He raised an eyebrow. "If you don't trust me how you can you leave the cage door open?" She asked gently. "I am not going to betray you. I love you. And I know the whole Daniel thing annoyed you-"

"What Daniel thing?" He asked, confused.

"The fact that I slept with Daniel before knowing he was you."

"That actually hadn't occurred to me." He replied thoughtfully.

"Well don't think about it. Draco, it's something about you that attracts me, no matter who you look like. It comes off you in waves." She grinned. "In all fairness, you could look like Avery and I'd just have to tell Ginny that there was 'something about you'." He grinned.

"I'm flattered."

"You should be." She smirked. "It would have to be a helluva something to make me kiss Avery."

"What if I looked like Potter?" Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow. Hermione cringed.

"That'd be hard. I think I'd have to resist on principle."

"Would it be difficult?" He asked. She snorted.

"You're fishing for compliments." She said wryly.

"I'm being serious." He raised his head to kiss the tip of her nose. "Is it hard?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." She replied gently. He raised his head again, but kissed her mouth this time. She let him, and it wasn't long before he had wrapped one hand behind her neck and pulled her down to him, rolling her over so he hovered above her. She looked up at him, utterly trusting.

"Take off the ring." He whispered. A slow smile spread across her face and she tugged the engagement ring from her finger, Constantine disappearing and leaving Hermione in her place. "Now I can see you." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"What about you?" She asked quietly. He muttered something under his breath and suddenly it was Draco she was looking at, and she raised her upper body off the bed so she could kiss him. He smiled down at her.

"Soon." He promised. She nodded.

"Soon." He bent to kiss her again, pressing her into the pillows.

&

"Constantine!" Hermione grumbled and turned over, Draco pulling her tighter into his arms. "Constantine! Constantine DeVere, if you do not get out here this second…" Ginny's voice trailed off threateningly.

"Ring." Hermione grumbled, raising herself onto her elbow so she could reach over Draco. He grinned at the view that was presented to him. "Coming, give me a second, Gin!" She called.

"You have fifteen minutes to be downstairs and presentable, Constantine." Ginny warned. "We have that brunch with Lavender, you remember?"

"Oh, for the love of…" Hermione grumbled, grabbing the ring and kissing Draco swiftly. "I love you." She said gently, slipping the ring on her finger and climbing out of bed even has her hair lengthened and turned the flaming colour that made Constantine so recognisable. She dashed through the shower and threw on the nearest expensive suit in the wardrobe, a slim fitting black trouser suit. She added a dark green silk camisole and twisted her hair up before shoving her feet in shoes, grabbing her purse, kissing a very amused Draco, and dashing out the door.

He got up at his own leisure, turned back into Daniel, and met Amadeo downstairs.

"You look happy." Amadeo commented. Daniel shrugged. "I'm guessing you and dear little Connie made up."

"We never argued. It was Connie and Draco that argued."

"That's the most pathetic excuse that I've ever heard leave your mouth." Daniel shrugged.

"Whatever."

"Well, pleased as I am that you two are shagging again, we have work to do. I've already had numerous letters informing me that support will be given to young Lucas, so we need to get cracking."

"So he didn't show us up?"

"If you'd taken your eyes off Constantine for longer than three seconds you would have realised he did very well. And any faux pas he may have committed was very well covered by Carina. I will ask her later if she would consider being a more permanent escort for him."

"I doubt she'll refuse." Daniel said, remembering the occasional glances Carina had sent Lucas throughout the night. His attention hadn't been _that_ focused on Constantine all the night.

"Nor do I. They appear quite fond of each other, something I believe will work well in our favour."

"So what's next?"

"We need Lucas somewhere where the public can see him. Taking an interest in Connie's homeless work will do nicely."

"She'll kill you if you call her Connie to her face, you know." Daniel warned. Amadeo snorted.

"Hardly. She'll get peeved and then you two will go off and 'talk'. While a perfectly reasonable arrangement, it does tend to slow things down a bit, so I won't be calling her Connie to her face." Daniel smiled. "Anyway. Lucas will do some work with Connie, more for being seen than anything else. The Pureblood families like the idea of the Minister being Pureblood, we've had too many halfbloods recently."

"Don't say that too loudly." Daniel said with a smirk.

"Connie's a pureblood and believes the same." Amadeo said, his voice laced with warning. His unsaid words hung over Daniel '_Don't forget Hermione isn't here yet.'_.

"Whatever." Daniel shrugged. "So there won't be any problem with the vote."

"No. And the time for it is quicker than we thought. In two weeks there will be a council. The proposition for Lucas to become Minister will be raised and followed through. Harry will be deposed, and Lucas will begin the investigation into some of Potter's less reasonable activities."

"Two weeks?" Daniel raised his eyebrows. "That's hardly enough time."

"He won't be unreachable when he's Minister, Daniel." Amadeo pointed out. "He'll still be wishing to see his old friends."

"How's that going to work?" Daniel asked. "Daniel and Constantine will be gone."

"To Asia to help at her Projects. When Draco and Hermione go on holiday every so often, funnily enough Connie and you will return."

"Amazing. We'll just miss each other, how sad."

"What's sadder is Connie's funding for Bangladeshi safehouses has been cut. That's why she's there in the first place."

"No." Amadeo raised his eyebrows at Daniel's tone. They'd gone from a joking, 'oh what a coincidence' kind of conversation to something completely serious. And something Daniel was refusing utterly. "You are not going to cut Connie's funding. Those Projects are her life."

"I thought you were her life."

"I'm her soul, moron." Daniel rolled his eyes, but got back to the subject at hand. "I won't let you cut the funding."

"Think of it this way. Amadeo, now that Draco has finally returned, has decided that being socially acceptable isn't his thing and cuts the funding. Draco, so pleased that he and Hermione are back and pardoned, and aware of Connie's oh-so-subtle part in it, replacing said funding meaning the cut was nothing more than a blip on her statement. The money doesn't have to leave, Daniel. She just needs a reason to be very very far away once Hermione gets back." Daniel couldn't help but see Amadeo's point.

"Does Connie know her time-scale?" He asked, his thoughts wandering back to the bedroom. Amadeo nodded, then smacked Daniel around the back of the head when the other man paid no attention.

"I told Ginny, so she'll fill Connie in."

"Where are they now?" Daniel asked. "All I heard was something about brunch with Lavender."

"Lavender Brown, she was a Gryffindor with Hermione." Amadeo explained. "She's a reporter now, and Connie and Ginny decided to give their old pal an exclusive regarding Lucas."

"And Carina?"

"Miss Goyle's name is sure to be mentioned, yes."

"She'll finally get the publicity she wants." Daniel said with a smirk.

"More than that." Amadeo corrected him. "She got all the notice she needed last night when she turned up behind Connie on Lucas' arm. This is all extra, and its gonna increase."

"Well, she has Greg when it gets out of hand." Daniel shrugged. "So, what about Lucas?"

"What about him?"

"Next step?"

"He's on his way now, we'll brief him about the council meeting and about Connie's little projects. Then he can go with her when she does her soup run tonight, and the press will be there to see…in fact, Carina could be there too, I'll see if she's free." Amadeo stared off into space as he thought. Then he brought himself back to reality. "You can see what Potter's up to, his plans for the foreseeable future, I'll be spreading propeganda about Lucas and how even I back him up."

"You'd back up a mountain troll if it had a chance of deposing Potter." Daniel snorted. Amadeo shrugged.

"We take care of our own." Daniel looked at him and knew Amadeo wasn't just talking about Hermione.

&


	11. Chapter 11

We're so close to the end now. This is the penultimate chapter, folks. The one before the end. S'been crazy, doncha think? It's about to get crazier. I really, _really_ want to know what you guys think about this. This isn't a 'let's feed the author's ego' type thing, this is a 'what an amazing story I have to tell her' type thing. I promise, there's a difference.

Lol.

Carry on, enjoy it. Tell me what you think.

Istalindar.

&

"Oh god." Daniel raised an eyebrow as he stepped into her room and found Constantine sitting on the edge of the bed, practically hyperventilating and trying, yet failing, to calm herself. "Oh god."

"What?" He asked, sitting beside her and pulling her into his lap, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing her back.

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow we either depose Potter or we're all ruined."

"Potter's gone." Daniel shrugged carelessly. And then it's a matter of how quickly Lucas can get Draco and Hermione pardoned, and then it'll all be over."

"Over?" Constantine whispered. "This has been going on for two years, Daniel. I don't even know Hermione any more."

"You will." Daniel murmured back. "When you see her in the mirror, you'll remember her."

"And if I don't?"

"Then Draco will remind you. Because he remembers her perfectly."

"And what if Hermione's changed in the last two years and she isn't who he remembers? What then?"

"Then Draco will make new memories of her and look after those instead." Daniel twisted and laid her on the bed, positioning himself beside her, braced on his elbow so he could look down at her. "Hermione was the first thing Draco cared about enough to risk his neck." Constantine smirked.

"Really?"

"Well, there was getting Potter into trouble. That was worth risking his neck too, I suppose."

"You are such a prat. And Draco at school was a little snot."

"I won't deny either of those things." Daniel smiled and kissed her gently. "You're okay now?"

"I'm going to see Potter as soon as Hermione's pardoned." Constantine said quietly. Daniel wasn't at all surprised.

"I'll go with you. I won't interfere, he won't even know I'm there unless he threatens her."

"Promise? I don't want Draco lording it over him when I'm trying to find out why. He won't talk to me at all when Draco's there."

"You're mixing up your persons, love." Daniel said with a small smile.

"Whatever. You get my point."

"I do. And so does Draco." He teased.

"Ugh!" She rolled her eyes. "You're such a pain."

"Your pain though."

"Don't I know it. In my neck, in my ass…"

"You're hilarious, you know that?"

"I leave the ego building to you." She replied smartly. "And it's not like you actually need any help from me." He grinned. "Thanks, though."

"For what?"

"Not leaving me."

"Never ever." He promised. He stroked her hair. "You know what Draco's going to ask Hermione when all this is over?" He asked softly. She shook her head, big green eyes looking up to meet his. "He might consider asking her to stay with him forever." One of her eyebrows arched, and he picked up her hand with the ring on it. "Chances are, he's going to ask if she'll accept the ring he gave her as it really is, an engagement ring."

"Is he really going to ask that?" Constantine asked with a soft smile.

"There's a very good chance."

"Will he tell her about the ring then too? About the inscription?" Daniel nodded slowly.

"I think he might. What do you think Hermione will say?"

"I think she'll say that it's a ridiculous question."Constantine bit her lip as she watched disappointment strike like lightening in Daniel's eyes. "She's been considering that ring as an engagement ring for years." She continued with a sly smile. He stared.

"Serious?"

"As a heart attack." She quipped. Daniel grinned, a full-out smile of the type you didn't usually see on either him or Draco.

"Thank you." He whispered, bending to kiss her. She kissed him back for a few moments, then pushed him away slowly.

"Of course. But I need to get some sleep, and so do you. Big day tomorrow."

"Can I stay?" he asked gently. She bit her lip, as thought thinking about it.

"Yes." She said finally, just when Daniel's impatience was about to get the best of him. "You can stay."

&

Constantine was nervous. As nervous as she had been at that first ball with Draco, ages ago. It was fitting, actually. Beginning and end. Harry's rise and Harry's fall. He had only just become Minister when he accused her of treason, and in the end he would be deposed as Minister. By her. Full circle.

It was about time.

Daniel, Carina sat on either side of her in the balcony above the council room. Below them the whole council sat, including Lucas and Amadeo. If Draco was here he too should have been sat down there: there was some tradition about Malfoy's sitting in on councils, whether they were elected members or not.

It explained about how Lucius had the Ministry in his pocket.

So far it had been boring. They were working their way down Harry's agenda for the meeting, and his removal wasn't on the list, so it would be announced at the end. If Harry noticed the council was full for the first time in years, he didn't give it away. Nor did he give away the fact that he must have noticed that Constantine, who usually absented herself from the actual politics, was there in the balcony. Sans Ginny, as well. The younger redhead was sick, with a slight fever and a racking headache. Constantine suspected it was something to do with Harry being removed: Ginny still loved him, even if she wasn't in love with him. And just because she knew this had to happen didn't mean she had to watch.

Constantine didn't mind. This wasn't something Hermione rejoiced at either. It was bittersweet…a terrible ending to what had been an amazing friendship. But on the other hand, she hadn't started it.

Harry had created his own doom. It was funny how true prophecies could be sometimes, even from that old bag Trelawney.

"That's it then." Harry announced. "Thank you for attending, I-" Constantine bit her lip and sat up, and Daniel took her hand.

"One last thing." It was Pansy who stood up, who had inherited the council membership from her father. "There is one last thing the council wishes to discuss."

"All items must be on the agenda." Harry replied. "Forward your item to me and it will be put on the agenda for next month."

"The item involves your removal from the position of Minister of Magic and your subsequent replacement." Pansy continued, her voice clear as a bell. Whatever she had been at school…pug-faced, bitchy, backstabbing…she had grown into a rather impressive woman, with a clear sense of self and a definite ability to express herself.

And no woman in the social scene doubted that Pansy could destroy them in a day should they get on her bad side.

Harry was stunned by her announcement, and he looked slowly around. Constantine, from above, could see everyone's faces. They all looked resolved…there wasn't really a council member who looked surprised by the announcement. And what was kind of surprising is some of them were those who did not tend to bow to the wishes of families like the Parkinsons or the Malfoys. Then Constantine noticed Madame Bones and suddenly understood.

This might actually work.

"Any items wished to be discussed must be put on the agenda." Harry said again.

"I'm putting it on the agenda." She replied. "The council wishes to vote on your removal and replacement."

"They do, do they?" Harry asked. The quill beside him taking minutes was scribbling madly. "Let's vote on that. Those that wish to vote on my removal…vote aye now."

The vote was nearly unanimous. And there were some tentative votes. But overall, it was more than enough to pass the motion. Harry looked shaken and pale. But he steeled himself anyway.

"Then vote. For my removal as Minister of Magic." Constantine could see Ron, sitting pale in the corner behind Harry. He wasn't a council member, but as Captain of the Auror department he was allowed to sit in an observe, though he couldn't vote. "Vote aye for my removal."

Hands went up, and votes were scribbled down on the voting slips. The vocal and written voting system was designed to be completely accurate…though many were aware that you could say one thing and write another. It was meant to protect the voting privacy…as no one trusted what one said, only what one had written. Constantine took a deep breath.

"Vote no for my removal." Harry continued, his voice flat and toneless. Again, hands went up and answers were scribbled down. At the end Harry flicked his wand and all the votes zoomed into the ballot box, where after a tense minute the response was spat out.

Harry was removed. By almost unanimous vote. Harry stared in shock at the result. He had never expected this. He was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. He had destroyed Voldemort, saved the Wizarding World from years of fear and repression. He had introduced the Golden Age of peace and prosperity. What did these people _want_?

Pansy smiled, a wolf's grin that made Constantine shiver. That girl was Slytherin to her core.

"And for his replacement, I nominate Lucas Weatherley." She said.

"I second that notion." Blaise Zabini rose also.

"I agree." Amadeo nodded but did not stand. Harry stared in shock at his replacement, who sat looking at him calmly, completely collected and utterly unsurprised. Harry looked up at the balcony and saw Constantine watching him. She could practically hear the thoughts running through his head.

_That **bitch**._

"Are there any other nominations?" Madame Bones stood and Blaise and Pansy sat down, their part done. As the oldest and highest ranking council member, without a Minister, Bones was in charge. No one put forward another nominee, they were all well versed in what would happen. However, it wasn't coercion,or rather, it was Constantine's version of coercion.

Each council member had had a chance to speak to Lucas in private, without Amadeo or Constantine or anyone else hanging over his shoulder constructing his answers for him. They had asked anything they liked, politically of course, and it had been their decision as to whether vote for him or not. But Lucas was a very talented politician, and with a little bit of a touch-up from Constantine, Ginny and Carina, he had become very acceptable to every class of witch or wizard.

"Then the vote is for Lucas Weatherley to become Minister of Magic, effective immediately." Madame Bones continued. Harry had sat down, looking rather sick. Ron leaned forward to whisper something in his ear, but Harry shook him off.

"All votes for Lucas Weatherley to become Minister of Magic, please vote now." Madame Bones said. Hands went up and votes were written. It looked positive.

"All votes against Lucas Weatherley to become Minister of Magic, please vote now." She finished. With a flick of her wand all the votes went to the ballot box where they were magically counted and the result displayed.

Lucas was Minister.

It was Lucas' turn to look rather shaken now, and Constantine saw Amadeo murmur something in his ear that made Lucas straighten up.

"Lucas Weatherley, please stand and come forward." Madame Bones said. Lucas did so, walking calmly to stand in front of her. "Do you accept this position as Minister?"

"I do, Madame Bones." He said, his voice clear and carrying. Constantine smiled.

"Do you swear to protect the wizarding community and only do what you feel is right for it in an altruistic manner if need be?" Lucas nodded.

"I swear."

"Do you swear to protect the interests of the wizarding community in international negotiations and to commit yourself to retaining order in our society, as well as increasing the standard of living for all?"

"I swear."

"Then I, as leading council member, do swear you into the position of Minister of Magic, effective immediately. Is there anything you wish to say?"

"Thank you." Strangely enough, it was a first. The standard reply to that question was 'No.'. The question itself was there as a last minute chance to say 'This was a horrible mistake. I'm actually a death eater but I've seen the light but I can't possibly be Minister.'

Nobody had ever said that though, either.

Madame Bones smiled at Lucas, who smiled tentatively back.

"You did it." Carina whispered. Constantine smiled at her but didn't look away from the scene below her.

"Does the Minister have a first order of business, as the council is already assembled?"

"Yes." Lucas said. "I wish to grant two pardons, retracting accusations based on no rational evidence."

Constantine, Amadeo, Daniel and Lucas had debated the wisdom of this so soon. Constantine and Daniel, obviously, wanted pardons for Hermione and Draco as soon as possible. But two years on the social scene had taught Constantine the value of patience and she had been prepared to wait a few weeks for Lucas to get settled before starting work that was so controvertial. Amadeo was of two minds: he understood the need for a proper timing, however he felt that Lucas should take advantage of a full council.

In the end, they decided to leave it up to Lucas. It was his future, after all. And why he still didn't know the importance of the pardons to Constantine and Daniel, he was willing to trust them.

Everyone had their secrets, after all.

"He's going for it." Daniel whispered. Constantine nodded, her hand gripping his tighter.

"You can't do that." Harry said, interrupting. "Without evidence."

"What was you evidence against Ms Granger and Mr Malfoy?" Lucas asked shrewdly, turning to look at Harry. Harry shifted.

"That's confidential." He said finally.

"I'm the Minister, Mr Potter." And there was a haughty smugness in his voice that would make any Malfoy proud. "And this is my council. It is my intention that they vote with me, for the retraction of the accusations and for the writing of the pardons. Thusly they must know on what grounds were Ms Granger, and Mr Malfoy charged." Harry looked like he was going to be ill.

"The file and evidence is in my office." Harry said.

"Then summon it." Lucas said. "Mr Potter, this is what I wish to discuss as Minister. You will co-operate." Harry glared, and Ron shifted uneasily. Harry sighed.

"Accio file." He ordered eventually. There was a short silence and then the flutter as the file hit the door.

"Mr Weasley, if you wouldn't mind." Lucas nodded to the door, and Ron glanced at Harry before opening it and picking up the file, tucking it back in order before handing it to Lucas. "Thank you, Mr Weasley." Ron nodded sheepishly and returned to his seat.

Constantine couldn't have been more proud of Lucas. She was aware that his smugness, that his self-assurance was a show, because those first few months as Constantine had been equally a perfomance and a test of strength for her. Inside she was willing to bet that Lucas was freaking out, but controlling himself for the council and for his friends. With his views and his backbone, he would make an excellent Minister. As difficult as it was to control a Minister with a backbone, she didn't want to be babysitting him the rest of his term, as Dumbledore had done with Fudge. Lucas would have to make his own Ministry.

Lucas swiftly replicated the file and sent a copy off to every member of the council. He waited for a few minutes while everyone skimmed it. And then, with rehearsed casualness, Amadeo rose.

"Lord Malfoy." Lucas acknowledged him.

"This file mentions a prophecy." He commented. There was a pause full of the noise of flipping parchment as the other members of the council searched for the mention of the prophecy, and then the room was filled with murmurs and nods as they found it. "Do you know what the prophecy contains?"

"There is a transcript at the end of the file." Lucas said. "However, if the council wishes, we shall view the prophecy itself, as it was recorded." More nods and mumurs of acknowledgement. While the council didn't really see how Ms Granger had involved herself with treachery, those who knew her knew she had an impeachable personality, solid evidence was required. It made a nice change, from Potter's announcements of arrest warrants and the such like without any evidence presented to them, simply because he could do that as Minister, to Lucas' sharing of evidence and asking their opinion. It was something he had learnt from Amadeo and Daniel both: how to ask an opinion without seeming weak and likely to be influenced. "Very well." He turned to Harry. "Summon the prophecy, if you please, Mr Potter."

"How would you know about the prophecy if you hadn't already seen the file?" Harry asked, desperation edging his voice. "You stole it!"

"The spell, Mr Potter, is _libra vidus_, for quick reading." Lucas said, and the council murmured agreement. Those who hadn't been influenced by Pansy or Amadeo knew the spell as well as the rest of them: in fact, a lot of them had used it just minutes ago so they had the full picture. And the desperation so obvious in Potter's voice said a lot about his state of mind…he was guilty of something, and the more Lucas shared with them the more it was starting to become clear that perhaps the Golden Boy from Voldemort's Dark Years was perhaps not so undamaged by the war as they had thought. "The prophecy, Mr Potter?"

"Accio prophecy." Harry said softly. Lucas closed his eyes briefly, and Harry jumped when the door flew open and the prophecy flew in, unharmed. He'd been counting on it smashing on one of the many doors that stood in its way. It landed softly in front of Harry, and he looked at it as though it may bite him.

"Activate the prophecy, Mr Potter. We all wish to hear it." Lucas said softly. Harry looked at the new Minister, who stared back at him calmly. Lucas was not going to dig Harry out of trouble. Harry swallowed and brushed his hand over the prophecy, and Trelawney's voice filled the room.

Through blood and fire, fought as one 

_Years of growth and battles done_

_The fairer friend of Chosen Boy_

_Lived through war to live in joy._

_But conflict between two shall rise_

_As evil shines into her eyes_

_Risen in power like shining sun,_

_Without her pause till day is done_

_To cast out that once called Gold_

_The hopes and ways that were of old_

_To bring him low with bitter trust_

By snakes with keys hung with rust.

Her voice died out, and Lucas looked around.

"I'm skeptical." He said eventually. "This prophecy, as with any prophecy, can be interpreted in a number of ways. And, of course, prophecies do not hold up in any court nor council.Divination, while recognised as a magical practise, is not reliable."

"This was your proof?" Ron asked quietly. His voice carried. Harry shot him a look, and Ron fell silent.

"It's rather accurate." Constantine murmured almost silently to Daniel. He smirked.

To them, it was very clear. The fairer friend was, of course, Hermione. The conflict was his attempt to assassinate her, the evil shining in her eyes was Harry. She rose in power, and she knew she'd been compared to the sun in terms of her beauty more than once. And she was certainly driven in her task to 'bring low' the Golden Boy, and with him the anti-muggle tendancies that still ran rife throughout society. And snakes with keys hung with rust…that was Amadeo and Draco with their two redheaded friends: Ginny and Constantine.

It fitted perfectly.

Perhaps Trelawney wasn't the cooked-up old bat Hermione had always considered her to be.

"I call for a vote. Based on the evidence before you, Hermione Granger was accused of treason and an assassination order was placed for her name. I call for a vote retracting that order and accusation, with a full pardon to her name. Votes for aye, now please."

Hands and scribbles as usual, and Constantine bit her lip.

"Now votes for nay." More hands and scribbles.

With the customary wand flick the votes flew to the ballot box and were counted.

Hermione Granger was pardoned.

Constantine took a deep breath and swallowed back tears.

"And now, one more vote." Lucas smiled at the council, who were looking weary. "I promise you, this is the last one for today." They smiled back, he already had them in his pocket. "I vote for the retraction of accusations of treason against Draco Malfoy for harbouring Miss Granger, and a full pardon to his name. Votes for aye, please."

Scribbles and hands.

"And now for nay."

Hands and scribbles.

The votes flew to the ballot box and were counted. Draco was pardoned, but not unanimously. Obviously some still wanted to see him in Azkaban. Hardly surprising, he had his fair share of enemies. Throughout the war he had fought undercover for the Light side, alongside Snape. Snape, too, had been pardoned of all past transgressions by a narrow margin.

"I hereby declare both Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy pardoned of all past transgressions against the wizarding society." Lucas bent over his podium to sign his name on the pardoning sheets, which had appeared as soon as the process had begun. He held up the two contracts so all could see. "I call on two witnesses to stand beside me and sign their names."

"I shall." Madame Bones stood and Lucas nodded for her to step forward and sign. She did so then stepped back.

"I shall as well." Ron Weasley stepped forward, and Lucas looked at him.

"You are aware, Mr Weasley, that you are implicated in the false accusations aimed at Ms Granger and Mr Malfoy and by signing their pardons you do not lessen your punishment, whatever the council sees fit for it to be." Ron nodded.

"I understand." Lucas smiled slightly.

"Then step forward and sign." Lucas said. Ron did so, and Constantine watched Harry glare at Ron the entire time.

"I don't think he knew." She said softly to Daniel. "I don't he knew what grounds Harry was accusing Hermione on."

"He's Harry's best friend."

"Perhaps Harry knew it wouldn't stand up." Carina commented quietly. "Perhaps he knew that Ron would not try to kill his friend on the basis of a prophecy."

"Signed and witnessed by the council and by Madame Bones and Mr Ronald Weasley, I hereby confirm their pardons which are to be put into effect immediately." The two pardons shimmered and then steadied as they were secured by magic. Hermione and Draco were now acquitted of treason on those grounds…they could not be accused again.

"Thank you, for this opportunity to make things right." Lucas said to the council. "I have sworn to try and make our world a better world, and I have tried to start today." He paused. "I would like to take this opportunity to say that if there is ever anything at all you wish to discuss, I would be happy to discuss it with you, here in council or in my office. Now, if there are no other items on todays agenda…" he paused, but no one said anything. "Then I declare this council over, to meet next either in a month or whenever time sooner that a council is requested." The crack of a wooden hammer on the lectern signalled the end of the council and people began talking among themselves, standing and gathering their things. Lucas looked up at Constantine, and she smiled down at him. Carina, beside her, was looking down adoringly.

"He's amazing." She murmured. Constantine laughed and touched Carina's shoulder.

"Go down and greet your new Minister." She said softly. Carina glanced at her with a grin and flew out of the balcony, disappearing out of the door.

"Free at last, free at last, thank the lord, we're free at last." Daniel quoted softly. Constantine laughed quietly and pulled him into a hug, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm not sure that's quite appropriate. We weren't slaves at all, just fugitives."

"It's the words I was after." Daniel replied drily. Constantine smiled. "When do you want to see Potter?"

"Tonight. The inquest will begin soon, with Lucas' announcement of Harry's rather flimsy evidence, it's likely there will be investigations into his other actions to see if such methods were taken in regards to other things. I want to get there first."

"To rub it in his face?"

"No. But even if it was…I've spent two years running from him." Daniel smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Tonight Pansy's having a ball in Lucas' honour. She wanted to be the first." He told her. She raised her eyebrows.

"That's rather hasty, especially for those that didn't know about the vote."

"Everyone but Potter and Weasley knew, Connie." Daniel rolled his eyes. "And even if they didn't, they obviously know now."

"Don't call me that." She poked his shoulder. "So she's had this planned?"

"We knew Potter was going down, Connie. Everyone did." She poked him again and he grinned. "So she planned the ball, made the invites, so tonight…what do you think?"

"I think we're going to Asia in a few days, to help out. My funding in Bangladesh was cut." Constantine sounded sour about this.

"So tonight we'll go?"

"Yes." Constantine nodded. "Hermione and Draco won't have had a chance to return yet. Probably won't even know until it's in the papers tomorrow morning."

"Good point." Daniel nodded. "Shall we go down and congratulate the new Minister?" Constantine smiled.

"I think we shall."

&


	12. Chapter 12

This is it, kiddies. The last chapter. The end. Hope you like it. Istalindar

&

Harry was having the worst day of his life. Even the Dursleys didn't compare to this: he'd gotten his own back on them anyway. He'd sent them a letter the day after he'd become Minister, full of magic to freak them out. He'd explained that now he was all grown up, well, twenty-four at least, and now ruled the Magical community of Great Britain. Eat that, you tossers.

But this…this had gone horribly wrong.

First, that vote for his removal. He hadn't seen that coming, but he should have. There had been unrest in the older families recently, but he'd let it go. He had never made an effort to involve himself with them, mainly because they were, for the most part, all connected to Voldemort and quite frankly if he could jail every single one of them he would. Had tried to, in fact.

It appeared he'd made a rather gargantuan mistake, because someone, obviously the person supporting Lucas, had made nice with the old families, got them on their side, and voted Lucas into power.

And he would bet his entire fortune that person was Constantine DeVere. That backstabbing, manipulative, whoring two-faced little bitch. She was the one behind Lucas' introduction to society, he had no doubt. And she was the one who had shielded Ginny from him…when Harry had done a location spell on Ginny when she ran away she'd shown up somewhere in Africa. Just the continent, because wherever she was was unplottable.

And the only place in Africa for her to go was one of Constantine's Projects, where, incidentally, Constantine just happened to be at the time. Constantine was probably also responsible for Ginny's newfound attachment to Amadeo Malfoy, that…snake.

Harry stopped dead.

Snake.

Like in the stupid prophecy. That stupid prophecy that had been his downfall. What was that last line?

_By snakes with keys hung with rust._

Rust could mean anything. Could mean the keys had been eaten away…hell, keys could mean anything. On the other hand, keys could also mean women. Two women, wielded by snakes like Amadeo Malfoy and Daniel Masters, both with red hair…rust red hair.

Ginny Weasley and Constantine DeVere.

Harry picked up the nearest breakable thing and flung it against the wall with a roar of incoherent rage. It didn't help, and he stood in the silence for a moment, ignoring the pop of an inward apparation. The only one who could get in was Ron anyway.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ron appeared in the doorway, face solemn. Harry turned to look at his best friend.

"Tell you what?"

"That there was a prophecy." Ron clarified, though he knew he didn't really need to. This whole day had been a nightmare. First the council, then those revelations, then Lucas becoming Minister, and now he was at Harry's expensive flat, trying to have a conversation about why Harry had betrayed both him and Hermione because of what a stupid prophecy had said.

"Because you wouldn't have cared." Harry shrugged. "You don't know prophecies like I do."

"I know enough about you and her to be able to interpret that prophecy fine." Ron replied. "She was devoted to you, Harry. She would have followed you to the end of the earth if you'd asked her. She would never have betrayed you."

"Well, she did." Harry snapped.

"Did she?" Ron asked. "Where is she now, all triumphant at your fall? She didn't bring you down, Harry. You did that to yourself. You upset the older families, you falsified evidence. You were brought down by your own mistakes."

"I did nothing to any old family. I stayed away from all of them. I didn't do a single thing to a single old wizarding family." Ron smiled, almost in disbelief.

"You forget, sometimes, that I'm a pureblood, don't you?" He asked. "Just because we were poor. You never asked, and I never said because it didn't matter to us, but the Weasleys go back as far as the Malfoys, or the Zabinis, or the Parkinsons. We're poor because we never threw away our morals for the chance to become wealthy. Because we valued family and trust over joining some Dark Lord. Because having magical blood was something we were born with, something from genetics, not something from god. You did upset an old Pureblood family, Harry. You upset them very much."

"I did nothing to you. I'm your friend. You had everything you wanted."

"You cheated on her, you lied to her, you broke her arm, gave her concussion, trashed her apartment, threatened her life, and then tried to force her to marry you. I'm talking about my sister, Harry. You want to know who riled up all the old families against you, Harry? I'm thinking it was my pureblooded, old family sister. The old families don't like it when they're forced to do things, you know that."

"So, what? You're saying it's a blood thing?" Harry asked. "That's ridiculous."

"As ridiculous as using a prophecy as evidence." Ron commented. "Between you two it was personal. But between you and the old families…you may be pureblood, Harry, but your mother was a half-blood. And while I have nothing against Lily Potter, it's just one more thing on a rather lengthy list of reasons why they don't like you."

"Well, they can go to hell." Harry declared.

"Actually, no." Ron said with a shrug, leaning against the doorjamb. "You're the one going to hell, Harry. Lucas has announced an inquest into all your past actions. He seems particularly interested in the attendance numbers at Hogwarts. And apparently lots of families have been coming forward saying you threatened their children."

"They're lying."

"I really, really hope so." Ron said with sad smile. "You're my best friend, Harry. I followed you to Voldemort's house, I trusted you and believed in you. If anyone could save this world you could. Please don't tell me you let me down. That you threw all that back in my face."

"Ron-"

"What happened between you and Ginny isn't my business. She's made it very clear she can look after herself, and what she can't do alone she has friends that will help her. What you do as a man is your business, no matter what you think. What you do as Minister is a different matter altogether. I'll support you until I just can't do it anymore. I hope that never happens."

"Ron-"

"Goodbye, Harry." He was gone with a pop and Harry sagged onto the sofa. This was the worst day ever.

A butterbeer bottle was put in his hand and he downed half of it.

"Thanks, Ron, I thought you had gone."

"He did." Harry froze. "I probably should have asked for an invitation, but it's a little late now." He turned slowly and saw Hermione sitting on the breakfast bar, legs crossed. For someone who had been a fugitive, she looked very well. She was wearing tight jeans, black ankleboots with stacked heels, and a long blue tunic over the top, belted with a wide black belt. Her brown hair was plaited down her back, and her hands were folded on top of her crossed legs.

"You…"

"What?" She slid off the counter and landed with a clack on the tile as her heels hit the floor. "I did nothing to you, Harry, and I would never have done."

"You know then." Harry said sullenly, setting the bottle down and rising.

"That I'm pardoned? Yes, I knew almost instantly."

"And Malfoy?"

"Draco knows too." She replied. "We also know you aren't Minister, and that you're being investigated for all those horrible things we like to accuse bad people of…embezzlement, blackmail…paranoia. Though paranoia isn't really chargable."

"You're very smug, aren't you? Always have to win."

"This was a fight for my life, Harry." She replied gently. "Of course I was going to win."

"I'm curious. How did you do it from exile?" Harry asked, stalking slowly towards her. She raised her wand and he halted.

"I have friends." She replied. "Seriously, Harry. I was the smartest witch of our entire generation. What made you think that I would just fall down and die?" She paused. "I wanted to, though, when I first found out."

"So why didn't you?" Harry asked, folding his arms. His wand was tucked in his sleeve, and if he could just get it…

"Because that would be such a waste." She shrugged. "What did you think would be my response, Harry? Surely you know that by acting on the prophecy, _you _made it come true. You made me your greatest enemy."

"You didn't depose me. That bitch Constantine DeVere did." Hermione laughed.

"She's a very good friend, Harry. You're not the only one with famous friends in high places. My redemption has been her quest since this whole thing started. If you'd never done anything, this wouldn't have happened."

"The prophecy said the conflict would rise because evil was shining in your eyes. You were corrupted." He argued, though he was getting the hopeless feeling he remembered from arguments back at school, when she was inevitably right and he was arguing the point because it amused him to annoy her sometimes.

"You were that evil, Harry. You were the man that betrayed his innocent best friend and tried to kill her. You are corrupted."

"I'm the one who destroyed Voldemort!" Harry shouted.

"I know. And I think he took more of your soul with you than you thought." She replied calmly.

"I'll kill you." He whispered.

"You might try." She agreed. He whipped out his wand.

"Avada-"

"Accio wand." Harry spun and saw Draco Malfoy, also looking quite good for two years as a fugitive, standing in the doorway, holding both wands. "You didn't think she came alone, did you Potter?"

"I didn't think she'd be coward enough to bring you." Harry sneered.

"Oh, she wasn't. I insisted." He smiled. "Missed you Potter." He said mockingly.

"Fuck off, Malfoy."

"Unlikely." Draco shrugged. "Hermione…"

"I've said everything I needed to." Hermione said quietly, stepping to Draco's side. "Except for why."

"I was protecting our world. The prophecy said you'd destroy the hopes and our way of living." Harry said defensively.

"It said I'd destroy the hopes and ways of old." Hermione corrected. "Which I did. Our hopes and our ways will be different now. The Minister will make sure of that."

"You had a hand in that, too, I suppose?" Harry asked derisively.

"I've had a hand in everything bad that ever happened to you after you tried to kill me." Hermione replied. "And I waited a long time to bring you down."

"I'm not down." Harry retorted.

"Aren't you?" Draco asked. "No friends, no position…soon you'll have no respect and chances are you'll be in prison. How much further down do you think you can get, Potter?"

Harry had no response for that.

&

"Don't feel sorry for him, Hermione." Draco said softly, as he lay next to her on the bed. She'd been in her room crying for the last half an hour, and when she'd finally let him in he'd gone to her side. "He tried to kill you."

"He was my friend." She said and sniffed, wiping tears off her cheeks. Draco took one of her hands and kissed the knuckles.

"He was. And he was a very good friend. But power changes people, Hermione. He spent his entire life with the shadow of Voldemort behind him, keeping him on his toes. With Voldemort dead, what was he meant to do? He found a new enemy, and I'm afraid, my darling, that it was you."

"I never would have hurt him. It never even crossed my mind." She whispered. "I was going to be an auror, work my way up through the department, maybe become Captain one day. I'd be the first female captain in decades." Draco smiled.

"You'd be the best captain there ever was." He replied, stroking her face gently. "And definitely the most beautiful."

"We were going to live happily ever after, the three of us, together like we were in the beginning. There wasn't anything that could beat us when we were together…I'd be the smart one, Harry would be the brave one, and Ron would be the one who helped us, held us together. He'd be the one who made sure we never ever fell apart."

"Shame Potter didn't give him that chance this." Draco said gently, leaning in to kiss her forehead. She sniffed again, and Draco grinned, passing her a tissue.

"Thanks." She sat up and blew her nose loudly and Draco smirked. "Shut up." She muttered. He just smiled, rubbing her back.

"I love you." He said, out of the blue. She crumpled up the tisse and threw it at the bin and missed. She sighed and lay back down beside him.

"I know you do." She said with a smile, reaching up to tap his nose with her fingertip. He raised his eyebrows at the gesture.

"That's it?" He asked. "Just…'I know'?" She smiled at his hurt expression.

"I love you." She replied. "Very, very much." He grinned.

"That's more like it. Hold on." He rolled away from her and picked up something from the nightstand before rolling back. "I'd kneel," he said with a grin, "Except we're on the bed."

"So get off the bed then." Hermione smirked and he sighed.

"You're so demanding." He complained, sliding off the bed. She scootched over to his side, so she was looking at him. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you marry me?" He asked, holding out the engagement ring she'd been wearing for years. She smiled.

"On one condition." She said. He raised an eyebrow.

"And that would be?"

"Tell me about the ring." He nodded.

"Of course. Say yes first though."

"Tell me first." She argued with a smile. He shook his head.

"Nope. I want to hear an affirmative before I start spilling secrets."

"I want the secrets before the marriage." Hermione said with a laugh. "I need to know why I'm getting myself into here!"

"What you're getting yourself into?" Draco grinned, standing and scooping her up and dropping her on the far side of the bed so he could clamber into his original spot, leaning over her, on leg tossed across hers. "I'll tell you that now. You'd be marrying a Malfoy. Which means amazing sex, of course," she rolled her eyes. "A house ready to go. Attending horrific social functions where you have to play nicely with all the little children, hold dinners for people you despise, wear beautiful, expensive and yet unbelievable uncomforable clothing, and probably accumulate a rather large shoe collection." He paused. "But on top of that…you'd be marrying me."

"You?" Hermione asked. "What, not just any Malfoy?"

"Amadeo is taken." Draco said sternly. "And you already stole Harry off Ginny, you can't steal Amadeo as well!" Hermione giggled. "Anyway. You'd be marrying me."

"So, besides dealing with your rather impressive…" she trailed off and he grinned. "Ego," She finished and he glared. "I'd also have to deal with what?"

"The fact that I adore you." He grinned, kissing her nose. "The fact that I'm going to buy you pretty presents whether you want them or not-"

"_Pretty_ presents?" Hermione folded her arms, though it had less effect as she was lying down.

"Beautiful, stunning presents," Draco corrected himself with a smirk, "That were made in a craftman's greatest attempt to equal your beauty," Hermione mimed gagging.

"That's so cheesy." She complained. He ignored her and carried on.

"The fact that I'm going to show you off to everyone, my beautiful, talented, clever wife," he smiled down at her, "and the fact that I'm going to bring my homework to you whenever I want help."

"You don't get homework." Hermione snorted. "For god's sakes, man, do you even have a job?"

"I'll find homework." Draco dismissed the problem with a shrug. "I'm sure there's some stuffed down the back of the wardrobe from one summer or another. And you were so damned _hot_ at Hogwarts. It was all I could do to not grab you and shag you right there in the library on top of Snape's homework."

"Oh, I'm sure he would have appreciated that." Hermione rolled her eyes. "And if you'd tried to shag me anywhere I would have cursed you so much that no children would ever have followed the Malfoy line through you."

"Through us." Draco corrected with a smile. "Also, you'd have to deal with the fact that by marrying me, your children will be the most beautiful children genetics could create, whereas if you'd married Ron…god only knows what would have happened. They would have had two heads or something, and think how difficult giving birth to _that_ would have been!"

"Draco!" Hermione smacked him and he laughed. "Ron's taken."

"But I notice you didn't disagree with the two headed baby part." He pointed out, stroking a line from the base of her throat to her navel and back.

"I disagree with a lot of what you say." She replied, sticking her tongue out at him. He bent and caught it in his mouth, kissing her thoroughly. She had been about to say something else, she was sure of it, but right now, with his warm weight pressing her into the bed and his mouth fused to hers, she wasn't really all that bothered. She noticed fuzzily when he slipped the ring onto her ring finger, but she ignored it, pulling her hand back so she could wrap her arms around his neck and pull him down to her.

Afterwards he hugged her slightly sweaty form to him, kissing her bare shoulder.

"So is that a yes?" He asked quietly. "Please tell me it's a yes, Hermione."

"It is a yes." She smiled at him, blinking eyes that were still a bit unfocused from that last, soul-ripping orgasm. "But I want to know about the ring."

"_Tribuo nos sto iunctus nos cado_." Draco quoted, picking her hand and turning it so the ring caught the light and flashed it back at them. "It's very old."

"I know. Snape and McGonagall told me." He raised his eyebrows.

"You spoke about it?" He asked.

"McGonagall saw it was a glamour right away." Hermione explained. "And I knew the quickest way to get them to trust me was to show them who I really was. They saw the ring, and were both actually extremely surprised to find that I had it. They asked who gave it to me."

"And you said?" Draco asked with a lazy grin, his hand tracing patterns over Hermione's smooth back.

"You, of course. They were suitably shocked."

"I'm not surprised." Draco said.

"They said a little about it's history, about how Slytherin gave it to Ravenclaw in the beginning. They also said something about it being a danger."

"It's got a long story. We've got a book, actually, devoted entirely to it. I think it's the only one in existence but I could be wrong. It's very old…and I only managed to read it once, when my mother opened it. I've never been able to open it since."

"What did it say?" Hermione asked, resting her chin on his chest and looking up at him. he stroked her curling hair off her forehead.

"Originally the ring was elven-made." Draco began. "This is before the inscription, before even the jewels. At the time it was a plain silver band, made by an elf for his lover. He charged it with all his love and devotion to her, so whenever she looked at it she would remember how he felt about her. So that no matter where they were, together or apart, she would never forget him." he paused.

"And?" Hermione pressed, "What happened?"

"Patience, pretty girl." He said with a smile. "It's a long story and I've only told you the first tiny bit." She bit her lip sheepishly and he leaned up to kiss her.

"Carry on then." She said with a smile. He nodded.

"Anyway. There was a little bit of a tussle, but eventually they got married, had children, lived happily ever after."

"Tussle?"

"Someone else wanted to marry her. He didn't, in the end, so it doesn't really matter. Anyway. These two had a son. Only one, because he was a hard birth for his mother. When he was old enough, he married, using the ring of his mother, and had a girl. And so on for about ten generations." Hermione nodded.

"But then what? Something happened."

"You're bright." He teased her. She stuck her tongue out at him and he grinned. "What happened, was that by that point, humans had developed as a race, including witches and wizards. Mind you, back then nearly everyone was magical. Humans as a race were tied very closely to the earth, their religion, their way of life was centred very much around the earth and nature and the life-force of both. The only reason Muggles appeared at all was because people stopped believing in magic, in earth-power, and stopped practising."

"I know, I did History of Magic." Hermione said impatiently. "What happened to the elf with the ring?"

"The latest elf in the line was a man called Marin." Draco said. "And he fell in love with a beautiful, human Roman princess, called Morena. Morena loved him back, and couldn't even think of anyone else, not a single one of the very handsome human suitors who asked for her hand. Unfortunately, neither Marin's parents, nor Morena's, agreed with the idea of an interracial marriage. For the elves it had to do with what grief both would suffer: Marin would live forever in Morena's eyes, she would watch herself age in the mirror and see Marin barely grow a grey hair. Marin would watch helplessly as Morena aged and died, leaving him alone." Draco ran his thumb over Hermione's cheekbone. "I don't know if you know, but when elves mate, they mate for life." Hermione nodded, already seeing where this story was going.

"They weren't allowed to marry." She said softly. Draco smiled gently.

"Oh, they married." He said. "In secret. Morena became pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy, and her parents knew the father as soon as they saw the boy's pointed ears."

"Oh no." Hermione breathed. Draco nodded.

"The humans, Morena's family, declared war on the elves. The elves, disappointed that Marin had married Morena against their will but unsurprised, had no choice but to fight back. It was bloody and destructive. At their last meeting, Marin took Morena's ring and charged it, much like his great grandfather did, with all his love and devotion and adoration for Morena. And he inscribed in it the Latin that you see, _Tribuo nos sto iunctus nos cado_. Divided we stand, united we fall. It was to remind her that no matter what happened, he was with her, and their son, always. She never saw him after that night, he died the following day."

A tear escaped Hermione's eye and Draco wiped it away with a smile, but said nothing, just continued on with his story.

"When her son was to get married, she gave him the ring, and it passed on through the family that way. It was passed through various marriages until it came to Salazar Slytherin's sister, maybe four generations after Morena…the dates are a little foggy. Kera Slytherin was killed by a jealous would-be lover when she gave her devotion to Morena's great great grandson. In her last letter to her brother, her locket, which as you know passed to the Gaunts and became one of Voldemort's horcruxes, and the ring from her lover, passed to Salazar. When Salazar read the inscription on the ring he knew of it's history: it had been quietly famous for years, because it was linked to the bloody elf-human war a century before. And he kept it, and the locket, safe."

"And he gave it to Rowena." Hermione said. "That's what Snape told me."

"Yes. Although this was before the founding of Hogwarts. It was a situation quite like ours, actually. He and Rowena were childhood friends, but as they grew up they also grew apart. They hadn't seen each other for many years but one day Salazar received a letter from Rowena asking him for help. He went to her aid immediately and found that she was being persecuted for being a witch."

"So he taught her to use the ring to change her form."

"Not right away. Don't forget, it was just a ring then, with the inscription. It didn't have the glamour charm on it yet." Draco corrected. She nodded and gestured for him to continue. "He saved her, and brought her up to Scotland where he lived so she would be safe. They became lovers, and he gave her the ring, as a token of his intention to marry her."

"So they got married." Hermione concluded. Draco shook his head.

"Engaged. Then they met with Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and decided to create a school for the kids, and the marriage kind of got put on hold. The school was going well…until Gryffindor showed an interest in Rowena."

"What?" Hermione frowned. "But she was engaged!" Draco shrugged.

"She wasn't married, yet. Gryffindor thought the marriage was on hold because she wasn't sure. He didn't know that Rowena and Salazar were married in soul anyway, the ring was proof of that. So he tried for Rowena, and she refused him."

"Well, obviously." Hermione snorted.

"But Gryffindor didn't take it. He tried again, and again, and again. And she always refused him, so he tried to make her feel how he felt. It went too far and he raped her."

"What?" Hermione's hand rose to her mouth and her elbow dug uncomfortably into his chest.

"Ow, Hermione, your elbow." Draco pushed at it and she put her hand back down.

"Sorry…he _raped_ her?"

"He didn't mean to." Draco said. "It just went too far. He was desperately in love with her and didn't understand how she couldn't feel the same. But she didn't and he raped her. That's the reason Slytherins hate Gryffindors. Not because Gryffindors are so bloody noble and Slytherins are so evil…because you're not and we aren't either. We are what we make ourselves. There are plenty of brave kids in Hufflepuff, and there were more than a few deatheaters in Ravenclaw. We hate each other because of Rowena."

"But that was years ago." Hermione whispered.

"So was the sorting." He replied gently. "Seventh years Slytherins are still in Slytherin, whether or not they're the ambitious backstabbing little brats they were when they were eleven." He smiled at her. "Don't be sad, Hermione, part of the challenge is overcoming what we're told we should be, and deciding for ourselves who we are."

"Deep." She murmured.

"It doesn't happen often, so appreciate it." He quipped. "Do you want to hear the rest?" Hermione nodded.

"Rowena tried to leave, without telling Salazar what happened. He didn't work and he followed her. After a rather lengthy and emotional argument he got it out of her."

"What happened?"

"What do you think happened?" Draco asked gently. "What would I do to Potter if he raped you?"

"You'd kill him." Hermione whispered. Draco nodded.

"Damn right I would. More than that, I'd torture him until he realised Voldemort was nothing compared to me." There was a dangerous glint in Draco's eyes that made Hermione utterly sure he was serious.

"So Salazar killed Godric?" Hermione asked. Draco shook his head.

"He failed, and Godric killed him. That's where the whole 'Slytherin is a murderer' thing comes from."

"They never mentioned Rowena in the stories." Hermione commented. Draco smiled.

"That's because the victor writes the stories, my love." He reminded her. "In the stories Salazar was jealous of Gryffindor and his innate goodness and tried to kill him because he was just that annoying. And while I don't doubt that's as good a reason as any, it isn't true. Thing is though, Salazar had a backup plan. He'd poisoned Gryffindor's food, and so he was dead soon after, leaving Helga in charge of the school. When Rowena found out, she was heartbroken. She went back to the school for the funeral, and Helga asked her to stay, but Rowena couldn't. She wanted to die."

"So what happened?"

"Rowena charmed the ring to change her appearance, as it does now. And instead of dying, like she wanted to, she travelled around the country, finding magical children and saving them from the Church and the like, and sending them to Hogwarts, where they'd be safe. And then, finally, her heart caught up with her and she died, leaving Helga the ring."

"And?"

"It kind of gets a bit misty at this point." Draco said with a half-shrug. "Because Helga's the one who wrote the book on it. At the end of the book the ring doesn't have the diamonds or anything, it's still a plain band with the inscription and it's accompanying golden ball."

"So it just vanished?"

"Not quite. It was given to my grandmother when she tried to marry a muggle. She, obviously, wasn't allowed, but the man gave her the ring anyway so she'd know how he felt."

"He charged it?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"No, but he understood the Latin and thought it was fitting. It's been in the family ever since. Well, until I gave it to you."

"It's still in the family." Hermione shrugged, picking up her hand so she could watch the light play off it. "You know, you took a big risk with me."

"Like I said…you deserved it." Draco shrugged.

"What if I hadn't?" She asked quietly. "What if I'd hated you anyway? What if I never fell in love with you?"

"You'd still deserve it." Draco replied. "Hermione, I saved him from him because I knew you. And I knew that you didn't deserve to die by your best friend not knowing why. That's why I brought you to the Manor. Not because I loved you, because I didn't then. I just…I didn't want to see you die."

"Well, thank you." She slid the extra inches up his body so she could kiss him. "Because who knew, I lived and we both got lucky." She laid her head back down on his chest, feeling his heartbeat reverberate through the muscle and bone to her cheek. "What about the danger?"

"What danger?" Draco asked lightly.

"Snape was surprised the ring didn't hurt me."

"It was to do with the charging on it. If the ring wasn't meant to be yours…if you stole it or whatever, it could kill you. It had to be given with love, which is how it could be passed down through families. If you'd stolen it, it might have killed you."

"They thought I stole it?"

"Alternatively, if I'd given it to you to get you out from under my feet, it might have hurt you that way as well. I'm not sure. There's a vague story about a highwayman who tried to steal the ring off its current owner, and he'd no sooner closed his fist around it that he dropped down dead."

"And she carried on?"

"She had better things to do than look after a highwayman who'd just tried to rob her." Draco replied drily.

"Good point." Hermione grinned. "So that's the story, huh?"

"That's the story." Draco agreed with a nod. "Still want to marry me?"

"God, yes." Hermione grinned. "I think when I'm married I'll still want to marry you."

"Well, that's encouraging." Draco commented, leaning up to kiss her.

It was getting quite heated when they were interrupted. Hermione sighed, climbing from the bed and taking the sheet with her, wrapping it around her as a kind of makeshift dress. She opened the door and saw Ginny standing there, dressed in an off the shoulder dove-grey silk dress. She took one look at Hermione and considered passing out.

"You are aware that Pansy's ball is in half an hour." She said. "Right?"

"It's not that late, Gin, relax." Hermione smiled.

"It's ten at night, Hermione. So why don't you and Draco shower, get dressed and come downstairs really fast. Amadeo's been threatening to leave without you for the last ten minutes."

"Fuck. Hermione, it's ten!" Draco called from behind her. Hermione grinned.

"At least one of you can read the time." Ginny commented with a smirk. "As happy as I am for you two, give it three more days. Then you can get married."

Hermione grinned.

"Go!" Ginny urged, pushing Hermione into the room and slamming the door in her face. Hermione stared at it for a moment, unable to get the grin off her face.

"Happy?" Draco asked, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned her head back against his shoulder and turned her face so she could see him.

"Unbelievably."

"Three more day? She wants us to wait three days?" Draco asked, glancing at the door as though Ginny was listening on the other side. "You're mad, Weaslette!" He called.

"Shower!" She shouted back. Hermione giggled, and he scooped her off her feet and carried her, sheet and all to the bathroom. He stood her in the shower and whisked the sheet off her, like a magician revealing his favourite magic trick.

"Love you." He whispered, stepping in to kiss her shoulder. "So much." Hermione grinned.

"I know."

"We're going to have to work on your response to that, pretty girl." He murmured, tipping her chin up so she met his gaze. She smiled.

"Promise?" She asked.

He smirked.

&

Gasp. I've been writing for the last six hours getting this finished. And I missed a hundred pages by 3, dammit. Still, this is where it ends…finally. It's been a hell of a journey, and it's not over yet, what with the inquest into Harry's nefarious activities, Draco and Hermione's marriage…etc etc. But my part in writing it is done, methinks. A lot of effort and thought has gone into this, it's possibly one of the hardest stories I've ever written. I hope you've all enjoyed it, please tell me what you think. Istalindar


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